I Am My Brother's Keeper
by Lucigoosey The Lightbringer
Summary: Everything was going great until the biggest dick in Heaven showed up.
1. Chapter 1

"Brother."

Lucifer stopped, hand inches away from the handle of his car door, and withdrew his arm immediately. He straightened, hands inching up to adjust his suit a bit - Kind of a nervous habit by then - And kept his gaze firmly fixed on the car. He didn't bother to spare a glance behind him - The voices, hell, the simple word let him know exactly who was there. Yes, voices. Three, to be more exact. And oh, Dad, did Lucifer know exactly who it was. After all, they spoke so effortlessly synchronized, and the Devil knew… Exactly who it could be. "Raphael… Gabriel…" He trailed off, and swallowed hard before continuing, more quietly. "Michael."

"Oh, good. You remembered."

A hand on his shoulder, gripping too firmly for comfort, only helped Lucifer's anxiety grow. He cast a glance at his older brother, tense, before turning to face Michael completely. The archangel glared back, cold and unamused. "N- No hello?" Lucifer tried, forcing a smile. "No hug? "How've you been, Lucifer"-"

"Quiet," Michael snarled, and despite himself, Lucifer flinched rather violently. "You know I of all people couldn't care less how you're doing, serpent."

"Alright, then," Lucifer mumbled, trying to ignore how much that actually fucking hurt, and edged back, grimacing when he realized his other two brothers were now behind him. "Clearly you came here on business so- What is it? What does dear old Dad want?"

"You. In Heaven."

Lucifer did a double take, staring at Michael in complete disbelief for a moment before finally managing to spit out a response. "I- I beg your pardon? Dad wants me- In _Heaven_? Oh brother you must be mistaken, must have gotten your information wrong, misunderstood something-"

Michael sighed, eyes hardening as he stepped forward. Lucifer, for all his brave words, he dropped his gaze and tensed his shoulders up, going still and silent as his brother stopped, only within several inches of him, and leaned forward even closer with a growl. "I don't get information wrong, and I don't _misunderstand_ anything," he whispered coldly. "I have orders, and I will carry them out."

Lucifer stared down at the space between them - Such a small space, but seeing that there was even a little sliver of it helped calm his nerves. Just a smidge. "And…" He stopped for a moment, as if questioning whether he wanted to say this to his brother, the only one of his siblings who could ever truly intimidate him. "And if I refuse…?"

Michael looked down at him, tilted his head to the side, and put one foot forward. Lucifer's breath caught in his throat as the space between them was closed. "You _really_ shouldn't."

Lucifer looked up at him, silent for once, then away again. He was incredibly unnerved - Why the hell would God want _Lucifer_ of all people in Heaven? The Devil squirmed slightly before clearing his throat, leaning back a bit and lifting his chin to look his brother in the eyes. "When?"

Michael smirked, icy and satisfied, and put a hand on his brother's shoulder, squeezing tightly. Lucifer grimaced, looking away and waiting to be teleported. It didn't happen. "A month," Michael told him. "Father has given you a month. Tie up loose ends. Say goodbye."

"S-" Lucifer cut off for a second, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "So this… Is a permanent thing."

"I'm afraid so," Michael responded, eyes gleaming as he stared down at his younger brother. "And Samael?"

Lucifer stiffened, his gaze snapping up to Michael's face. "That is _not_ my name." He growled. Michael narrowed his eyes, but he smirked, cold and cruel as he leaned back, releasing him.

"I'll be sticking around. Observing. Make sure you don't try anything." The archangel stepped back, and grinned. "Just like old times."

And then he was gone.

Lucifer stared, he stared hard as hell at where Michael had been, then turned to look over his shoulder. Gabriel and Raphael were long gone, too. The Devil took a deep breath, squeezed his eyes shut, and slammed his fist into the roof of his car before getting in.

"Son. Of. A. Bitch."


	2. Chapter 2

Lucifer went into work the next day, ready to be his annoying, cheerful, overly confident self. He had a month to figure out how to get himself out of this, so he shouldn't be _too_ worried, right? The Devil hummed, hopping down the stairs with a little grin on his face, ready to announce his entrance.

A familiar pair of cold amber eyes stopped him in his tracks, having to do a double take. Michael was standing at a mostly empty desk, open folder in his hand and his head tilted toward Lucifer, almost warningly. _So that's what he meant by sticking around,_ Lucifer realized, taking a moment to look his older brother up and down, admiring the suit. _He doesn't pull it off nearly as well as I do, though._

"Take a picture, little brother. It'll last longer."

Lucifer frowned, staring at him silently for another long moment before quietly walking forward, crossing the room in just a few quick strides to reach his brother, who closed the folder and looked down at him expectantly. "So this is what Dad's sent you to do?" He growled incredulously, a rush of courage flickering through him as he lifted his chin to glare at his brother. "Pose as a detective?"

Michael cocked his head to the side, his already low voice somehow getting even quieter. "Can't be much different from what you do, Sammy. You're the one who started playing cop with the humans," he responded lowly. "I'm simply here to keep you out of trouble. Since, our oldest brother failed so horribly."

Lucifer opened his mouth, then closed it again, looking away as he tried to think up a comeback to that. Michael smirked, dry and triumphant, before turning and setting the folder down on his desk. "How is Amenadiel, anyways?"

"Fine," Lucifer grumbled, forcing his voice steady and trying to keep a neutral tone as he glared at the back of his brother's head. "I am not "playing cop with the humans", Michael, I'm assisting the Detective. She needs me," he told him matter-of-factly, glare not wavering. "And do not call me _Sammy_. My _name_ is _Lucifer_."

"Right. Right, Lucifer Morningstar," Michael chuckled a little; Lucifer clenched his teeth, hands curling into fists as his older brother finally turned back to him. "Of all names. Lucifer, though-" He smiled, his amber eyes sparking with a certain flame before dulling down again. "Now, isn't that just the perfect thing for our little Lightbringer."

Lucifer, at that, dropped his gaze, glaring at the floor now - If looks could kill. "I-" He cut off, taking a deep breath. Typical Michael, making his life absolute… Heh, Hell. Not sure what else he expected though. His brother had tortured him as much as possible during his time in Heaven, and he was probably milking this for all it was worth. Well - No, the Devil could _not_ let his brother get to him, not this time. "Unless you have a better way to waste my time than belittling me- Like father, like son- I have work to do."

He started to turn away, to head toward Chloe's desk, but his brother spoke up again before he could take more than two steps. "No, you're right. You do. I've put in a request, Lucifer, and you're with me today." His gaze flickered to Chloe, then back to his brother.

Lucifer blinked, turning his head faintly to glance at his brother, before reluctantly turning completely to face him again. "You can't be serious."

"Aw, but I am." The folder was back in Michael's hand - Lucifer didn't even recall seeing him pick it up again - And was now being held out to him. Lucifer simply locked his gaze on it and refused to move. "It's not going to explode on contact. I've only done that to you twice."

"Both times were rather traumatizing experiences," Lucifer retorted, albeit quietly this time. He was still rather reluctant to take the folder, and for awhile he just continued to stare as if by some chance he could burn a hole into it. But, however reluctantly, he reached out and took it, managing to avoid any contact with Michael in the process. His older brother hummed and spun around, heading around to the other side of his desk, and Lucifer watched him warily.

So not only was Michael invading his… Workplace? But he was also forcing Lucifer to partner with him.

 _Dad have mercy,_ Lucifer thought to himself, then nearly snorted, turning his bitter gaze to the folder he had yet to open. _Well, fat chance of that, actually._

"What's the matter now?" Michael was really starting to get on his Dad-damn nerves. "Oh, don't tell me. You've forgotten how to read. Don't worry, Sammy, I won't judge. Not at all. I'll read it to you. Kind of like a bedtime story."

Lucifer stared, eyes blazing with anger and frustration, as his brother leaned forward toward him, elbows on the table, hands clasped together in front of him, and his amber gaze never leaving Lucifer's.

"Once upon a time, there was a young woman named Liorah Turner. She had a pretty happy life. Young actress, LA star, lots of friends and followers- Oh, and fans, she had plenty of those. She had a boyfriend, lived with her sister… She even had a cute little chihuahua." Michael glanced away for a second, toward the folder, before lifting his gaze back to Lucifer's. "Of course, being a pretty little rich priss isn't all perks. There must have been some conflict- You know why?"

Lucifer stayed silent - At least until he realized his brother was actually looking for a response. He swallowed, clenched his teeth, and spat the word out with as much venom as he could muster without completely screaming at his brother. "Why?"

Michael smirked, his amber gaze sparking up again, filling with a certain kind of fire as he lowered his chin and leaned forward even more, voice dropping to a whisper. "Someone decided to end her sweet, glorious little fifteen-minutes-of-fame by stabbing her in the throat with a pair of fingernail clippers."

Lucifer stared at him, both disgusted and honestly a little unnerved by that - Or, at least, unnerved by how easily it was for his brother to say all that with a smirk on his face. "Wow," he managed to mumble after a moment, his grip on the folder tightening as he glanced down at it. "Well, then."

"Take a look if you think you'll understand what's written down," Michael told him, barely disguising the snicker as he raised his voice and leaned back, slamming one hand down lightly onto the desk. "They're bringing the sister in for questioning." After a moment of silence, the archangel laughed, glancing at his brother with a grin. "Wonder if she did it. Sibling rivalry thing. That'd be amusing."

"Right." Lucifer stared back at him, the anger returning, but if it was one archangel he didn't dare to be full-on aggressive with, it was Michael. "Amusing."

"Aw, _lighten_ up," Michael snickered, then laughed again and offered his brother a cold half-grin. "Get it, Little Lightbringer?" Lucifer just glared at him, silent as ever, before turning away and opening the file again, looking down.

"Come get me when Liorah's sister arrives," he told his brother, once more forcing a neutral tone.

"Sure." Michael leaned over his desk, his gaze never leaving Lucifer. "Where you going, Sammy?"

"Outside." Lucifer stared down for a little longer before snapping the folder shut. He wanted to snap at the last word, but he bit his tongue for the first time in his life, spun around, and walked out, shoving his way past Dan as he did so. He didn't care. He'd apologize later. He just figured out how the Hell he was going to get his brother off his back, and how the Hell he could get _his_ partner back.

Because Dad knows he wasn't spending the rest of his month on Earth solving crimes with the biggest teacher's pet in Heaven.


	3. Chapter 3

Lucifer hadn't seen Chloe at all the entire day, and he was starting to worry. He talked to Dan a little bit, and Ella - But neither of them had seen Chloe either. Lucifer was honestly about to head to her house to see if she was there - But before he could even really consider it, his brother was dragging him right back into their little case.

"Zoe Turner's here. In the little… Interrogation room place," Michael told him idly, conveniently cutting off a conversation he was having with his favorite _Detective Douche_. Lucifer looked down for a second, trying to mask the annoyance before it could clearly show, but Dan must have seen it anyway, because he seemed surprised, amused and concerned all in one when Lucifer finally managed to lift his gaze.

"Right. So then why don't you go interrogate her?"

"Aw, Sammy, I would." Michael offered him a lazy grin, while Lucifer gritted his teeth, freezing and burning on the inside as he fought to control the sizzling rage. He let his gaze flicker from Dan to his brother just in time to see his amber eyes sparking again, and his annoyance fell away for a second at the unspoken warning. "But I think my partner should also be there, don't you?"

Lucifer shifted his weight from one side to the other, adjusting the collar of his suit jacket and looking away, letting his gaze flicker around for a moment. "Mm…" He hummed quietly under his breath instead of responding, before clearing his throat. "Fine."

"Fine," Michael responded coolly, but his voice had raised slightly in pitch, an almost mocking tone in his voice. Lucifer simply shoved past him wordlessly, not even bothering to say goodbye to Dan, and headed for the interrogation room. He didn't even bother to slow down or announce himself calmly, shoving the door open with his shoulder and entering the room without breaking stride for even a second.

The girl looked startled, shrinking back into her chair and hiding behind her curly blonde hair, peering up at Lucifer warily. She looked younger than Liorah, he noted absently, trying to keep his mind off his anger for his brother by distracting himself with comparing the girl to the victim in the pictures. "U- Um."

"Zoe Turner?" Lucifer checked, not really paying too much attention anymore. The girl nodded, and Lucifer cleared his throat, turning to face her completely and forcing himself to relax. "My name is-"

"Lucifer Morningstar. And I'm Michael, Michael Saint. We're the detectives investigating your sister's case."

Lucifer's fingers twitched, threatening to curl into fists. Instead, he shoved both hands in his pockets and forced himself not to glare as he flicked his gaze toward his brother, watching Michael enter the room. The moment he did, the girl seemed to relax - Lucifer almost rolled his eyes, biting his tongue and looking away bitterly. Of course, Michael using his dumbass powers…

"Oh," the girl mumbled, rubbing her eyes and straightening up in her chair. "I- I don't know what happened, she was just- I woke up and I made us breakfast like always but when she didn't come down, I- I went to check on her and- And she was-" She choked off pitifully, a low whine rising in the back of her throat as she choked back a sob.

The look of sympathy on Michael's face was forced, but Lucifer honestly felt bad for the girl. Terrible, honestly. Besides Michael, of course, he cared for his siblings. Like, Amenadiel. Lucifer cared for Amenadiel, he would definitely be upset if he died like that. So gruesome and bloody, too. "Miss Turner, can you think of anybody who would want to harm your sister?"

Zoe blinked, rubbing her hand over her mouth and thinking about that for a moment before responding, clearing her throat and letting out a shaky sigh. "W- Well, she, uh, she mentioned getting into a really intense argument with one of her fans- Or, former fans, I- I guess, but…"

"Any chance you have a name?" Michael pressed, tilting his head to the side. Zoe blinked, shaking her head.

"No, but, um- Her computer, it was on her laptop, one of her sites."

"Alright," Michael mumbled, looking thoughtful. Lucifer continued to stare at Zoe for a moment, frowning a bit to himself now. Her laptop - That had been brought in, too. Though, somehow, the Devil knew this case was far from over. Eventually, Michael spoke up again, the forced, sweet smile back on his face. "Alright, well, if you think of anything else, please…"

Zoe just nodded shakily and looked down, and Michael tilted his head toward Lucifer before turning to leave the room. After a second glance at the girl, Lucifer followed after the older archangel, far too distracted now to worry about keeping his distance.

"Now we just find that laptop," his brother hummed, spinning around to face him; Lucifer, startled, skidded to a sharp stop only inches away from him. And, uncomfortable, he instantly moved to step back. The only problem with that was that Michael obviously didn't want him to, because he grabbed Lucifer's suit jacket with both hands and pulled him forward again. "I can't believe what I'm seeing, Samael. You've gone so soft."

"My name," Lucifer lowered his voice, practically shaking with anger at that point. "Is _Lucifer_."

Michael chuckled, closing his eyes for a moment before forcing them open again and yanking Lucifer up to his level, lifting him off the ground effortlessly. "When will you learn, that you don't get to choose who you are?"

Lucifer blinked, and in the next instant he was back on his feet, trying to twist out of his brother's grip. "And what, Father does? Father abandoned me, Michael, he doesn't get to choose who I _am_ , not anymore."

"Father abandoned you?" Michael repeated, eyebrows raising in disbelief for a moment. "You're the one who started a rebellion, Sammy. And when Father kicked you out - When he did what he quite obviously _had_ to do to stop _you_ from creating stupid, needless drama, well…" He trailed off, amber eyes flaming up again for a second. "You chose to see _that_ as an act of betrayal, rather than suck it up and take credit for everything _you've_ done."

Lucifer blinked, glancing away for a moment. "I wasn't trying to create _drama_ , I was trying to- To-"

"Get Daddy's attention," Michael interrupted icily, though an amused smirk had found its way to his face, glaring at his brother. "Well, bravo, Samael, you succeeded. You got what you wanted."

Lucifer's eyes widened, gaze flickering up to his brother again. "Wh- This-" He managed to spit the words out, leaning back. " _This_ has _never_ been what I _wanted_."

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter anymore." Michael shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. "For whatever reason, Father wants you back home." Lucifer blinked, staring up at his older brother before looking away again. Home? Well, before, "home" was Hell. But now, honestly, when he thought of home - He thought of Lux, he thought of the police station, he thought of being by Chloe's side, solving cases…

The Devil swallowed, closing his eyes for a moment and trying to force back the raging emotions, gritting his teeth together. "That. Has not. And never will be. My _home_."

"Well…" Michael sounded farther away now; Lucifer blinked his eyes open, looking up to see he was walking away. "Sorry, bro. But you gotta do what'cha gotta do. Father's orders… And not all of us can be horrible sons."

Lucifer flinched despite himself, though he wasn't sure whether it was out of anger or whether that comment had actually hurt him. He sucked in a sharp breath and glanced around, turning to head toward the evidence room, but he stopped in his tracks when he felt a hand on his shoulder from behind. Expecting Michael again, he braced himself for the worst as he turned around, but he was pleasantly surprised to see Chloe standing there. "Oh, hello Detective."

Chloe just stared at him, then turned her head to glance after Michael; Lucifer's smile melted, realizing she must have heard some of that little argument. "Who- Who was that?" She asked carefully, turning back to him with wide eyes.

Lucifer opened his mouth, then closed it again, sighing and glancing after Michael as well. "My brother. Michael."

"And what's he doing _here_?"

"Well, it seems he's gotten a job fighting crime as well," Lucifer mumbled, unable to keep the bitterness out of his tone. He looked back down at Chloe, then away again, shaking his head. "We're on a case now, actually, he's forced me to partner with him. Guess nobody else wants to partner with someone who has a stick shoved that far up their-"

"Ah-" Chloe cut him off, giving him a deadpan look, and Lucifer offered an apologetic smile. "What did he mean, back home? Are you leaving?" The Detective pressed, and, once more, Lucifer faltered, his gaze falling to the floor.

"That's the plan," he mumbled, biting down on his tongue and shaking his head with a sigh. He looked back up, frowning as he rushed to explain. "It's not… That I want to-"

"No, I can tell," Chloe interrupted, looking puzzled as she shook her head. Lucifer sighed and leaned back a little, once more glancing up, after Michael. His brother had stopped beside his desk and was once more going through Liorah's file. But his amber eyes continued to flicker toward him and Chloe - Lucifer knew he wasn't really paying attention to anything that file said. "I just… Why would you go if…"

She trailed off, and Lucifer waited a moment to make sure she wasn't going to continue before answering, already knowing what she was going to say. "It seems the choice isn't quite mine to make, Detective."

Chloe blinked, tilting her head to the side. But Lucifer - Lucifer wasn't sure he could handle any more questions, so he excused himself and lightly brushed past her. He didn't even look at Michael this time as he passed, though he could feel his older brother's gaze on him. No. Lucifer was going to ignore him as much as possible. Things were going back to normal today, he _refused_ to be partnered up with Heaven's biggest _asshole_.

For now, though, he was going to focus on the case. Because the sooner it was over with, the sooner he could go back to being _Chloe's_ partner.


	4. Chapter 4

"So! You're new here. You must be Michael!"

Michael tilted his head to the side, keeping his gaze fixed on the folder in his hands. _And you're Azrael and Sammy's little friend,_ he thought to himself, lifting his head a little and turning to face the girl who had approached him - Ella Lopez. The archangel sighed, forcing a smile at her and closing the folder. "And you must be Ella," he responded, switching the folder to one hand and holding the other out to her. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine," Ella responded sweetly, returning the smile with ease and shaking his hand without hesitation. Michael raised an eyebrow faintly, head tilting to the side for a second. _I can see why Samael is fond of her. She's a lot like Azzy. And they were great friends way back when._ "I saw you've been hanging out with Lucifer! Do you two know each other?"

Michael offered her a lazy but amused grin. "Oh, we go way back." He paused, amber eyes flashing over to Chloe as she approached the two. He offered the Detective a curious look, but nothing more. This, after all, was the girl little Samael was oh-so fond of, and his apparent weak spot. Which made Michael wonder, would _his_ powers even work on her? But he'd have all the time in… A month to test that, and he wasn't exactly impatient by any means.

"You're brothers," Chloe said bluntly as she stopped beside Ella, her gaze accusing and cold as she sized Michael up.

Michael smiled wryly, ignoring Ella's surprised "oh, wait, what?" and meeting Chloe's gaze effortlessly enough. "Sammy told you that, did he?" He checked. Chloe nodded, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"Sammy?" The Detective demanded, lowering her chin and glancing away for a second, toward a certain set of doors - Michael followed her gaze. That was where Lucifer had just gone off to. "What's with that? Why do you call him that?"

"His middle name is Samael," Michael responded idly, staring at the doors for a moment before looking over at Chloe, amused. The lie came so easily - Lucifer would be pissed… Good. "I've always called him by that."

Chloe glared for a moment, taking a deep breath. ""You shouldn't," she grumbled after a moment, looking annoyed. "He doesn't like it."

"I'm his brother, it's not my job to worry about what he likes," Michael told her, smile melting for a second. He turned serious, glancing past her, before speaking again. "It's my job to show him he can't choose who he wants to be."

"And who are you to decide that?" Chloe asked incredulously, looking incredibly taken aback now. Michael blinked and turned back to her, silent for a second, before chuckling.

"Like you said, Decker." The archangel shut the folder and set it down on his desk, clasping a hand over Chloe's shoulder as he walked past her. "I'm his brother. See you later, Ella," he added, winking at the girl as he passed her and heading to the doors he'd seen his brother go through just moments before. He opened the doors without even touching them, just a brief flick of his wrist making them slowly swing open, and he walked through with ease, glancing around. Sure enough, Lucifer was there, laptop open in front of him and a look of pure concentration on his face as he scrolled through it.

"What's up, Sammy?"

Lucifer flinched - It was still so satisfying to him - And looked up immediately, his expression changing. Michael loved the way he straightened up the second he noticed Michael, instinctively going into "solder mode" as he'd been taught, and the archangel grinned to himself. "Don't."

"Ah, shut up," Michael sighed, walking over and pausing beside him, staring at the laptop. "Did you find anything or not?"

Lucifer stayed silent - And Michael did, too, for a while. When he realized his brother didn't plan on speaking, he glanced around to make sure they were alone, before turning and simply smacking Lucifer on the back of his head. Hard. "Ow!" The Devil protested, flinching away and rubbing the back of his head. "Well, you told me to shut up!"

"I asked you a question," Michael retorted idly, rolling his eyes. "And I don't like being ignored. But I'll repeat myself, for you." He leaned forward. "Did you find anything, Samael?"

Lucifer stared at him for a long moment, his eyes sparkling with anger - But, it dissolved after a moment, a defeated look crossing his brother's face as he looked back at the laptop. "I found the argument Zoe was talking about, between Liorah and one of her fans," he grumbled. "Traced the other user back to an Ashton Reynolds."

"Good Devil," Michael hummed, patting him on the back a little roughly - And making sure to hit the spots where his wings should have been. He heard a strangled gasp from his brother as he did, and bit back a smirk, waiting for him to recover as he dropped his arms to his sides. "We'll track down Ashton for interrogation, then. Hey- I think I'm getting pretty good at this cop stuff. Don't you agree?"

Lucifer didn't agree, but he bit back whatever snide remark he must have had building in his head. He shut the laptop wordlessly and turned, easing his way past his brother - Which, Michael noted, was a change from earlier, when his brother had shoved past him. "I'll go do that, then-"

"No reason to go alone," Michael hummed, stopping his brother in his tracks. "No reason at all, hm? Wait up." He strode forward, brushing his shoulder against Lucifer's as he passed, and he paused for a split second beside him to add, "And I'm driving." Then, smirking, he continued on his way.


	5. Chapter 5

"So, this is the place."

Lucifer turned his head, looking up through the windshield. The house in front of them was pretty ordinary, and the neighborhood didn't seem to be anything special either. But it was the right address, and the mailbox out front clearly read "Reynolds". The house itself was mostly a pale, yellow-ish color, with dark and light grey splattered in a mix on the roof. A brick path led to the door, which was whiter than the rest of the house, but not completely. There were two windows out front, one on each side of the door, and it seemed to be a one-story house. He couldn't see through the windows, but he caught a glimpse of pale blue fabric - Curtains.

The Devil, for once, took in every detail. Anything, so he didn't have to focus on _Michael_.

His brother sat still beside him, observing the house in silence, which Lucifer _certainly_ didn't mind because at least the older archangel's mouth was shut for once. He bit back a sigh and turned away, opening the door and getting out of the car. Michael chuckled, breaking the silence, if only briefly, as he got out as well.

"So now we arrest the big bad criminal?" His brother prompted, smirking at Lucifer. The Devil blinked back at him, closing the car door and looking toward the house. He considered staying silent just for the Hell of it - But, remembering the smack on the head earlier, he realized his brother could do, would do, and had done, a lot worse to him before just for little things - And clearly, _ignoring him_ was not an option.

Lucifer grimaced, irritation blazing through him, white hot fury that froze him at the same time as he turned his gaze back to Michael, without quite turning his head toward his brother. "Well, we have to ensure he's guilty first."

"Boring, boring, boring," Michael groaned, pushing himself away from the car and heading toward the house. Lucifer sighed - And, briefly, wondered if this is how Chloe felt, working with him - And headed after his brother, shoving his hands into his pockets and keeping a good distance between them.

He opened his mouth to protest when Michael went to open the door without knocking, but, after a second, decided it was a lost cause and just snapped his mouth shut, glancing around them wordlessly. Michael pushed the door open, seeming pleasantly surprised that it was unlocked, and strode inside as if he owned the place. Lucifer followed wordlessly, adjusting his shirt with a frown.

He stopped in the hallway, watching Michael head off into various rooms, humming all the while. Lucifer stood still, eyeing the photos on the walls.

"Sinner, sinner, where art thou… Oh." His brother's sentence trailed off, his voice raising slightly, curiosity mingled with disgust entering his tone. Lucifer blinked, distracted, and quickly headed after Michael, reluctantly entering the last room he'd seen him go in and stopping in his tracks at what he saw.

A man - No older than Zoe, Lucifer would guess - Was sitting back in a chair, facing a desk. His head lolled back limply over the back of the chair, and his mouth gaped open, wide, unseeing eyes staring toward nothing. His throat was slit open, and the blood around the wound had long dried on his neck and shirt.

"There goes our bad guy," Michael complained, not seeming at all put off that yet another person had died. Lucifer bit back a groan and rubbed a hand down his face, eventually just pulling his phone out his pocket. Michael turned to him, looking curious. "Who're you calling?"

"The police," Lucifer grumbled, going to his contacts list and calling Chloe. Michael tilted his head, leaning back against the wall casually.

"We are the police, Sammy."

"Well we're probably gonna need more than just us," Lucifer snapped, annoyance winning over the wariness he held for his older brother. The archangel quirked an eyebrow, amused, as Lucifer continued, "and we're gonna need Ella down here, too, so just - Sit tight." He paused, going silent for a moment when the phone stopped ringing.

" _Lucifer?"_

"Hello Detective," Lucifer spoke up, his tone losing the bitterness he'd addressed Michael with as he turned his gaze back to the man in the chair - Poor Ashton. "Might want to get Miss Lopez and head on down here."


	6. Chapter 6

" _Whoa_ that is nasty… Poor dude, wow…"

Lucifer sighed, watching Ella move around Ashton, inspecting and taking pictures. Chloe stood nearby, a puzzled expression on her face as she stared. Lucifer honestly hadn't moved aside from moving from the doorway to let Ella and Chloe in - And Michael was still casually leaning against the wall, an amused grin on his face as he stared at Ashton, not even bothering to disguise his curiosity. Again, Lucifer wondered if the irritation he felt right then was how Chloe felt, when she was working with him - Especially when the two of them just started out working as partners…

The Devil swallowed, closing his eyes for a moment. Two people were dead, and all he could focus on were his problems with his brother. His self-loathing was at its peak right then - Not that he'd let it show.

"Yeah, poor dude," Michael finally spoke up, and Lucifer blinked his eyes open to look over at him, annoyance returning. "And unfortunately our biggest suspect turned victim..." After a moment of thought, his eyes lit up, turning to Lucifer. "Liorah's boyfriend."

Lucifer blinked at him, thinking about that for a moment. "Why would he kill his girlfriend?" He finally asked, narrowing his eyes. Michael hummed, thinking about that for a moment before shaking his head.

"Dunno, but we should still bring him in for questioning. Once we find him…" Michael narrowed his eyes a little, looking kind of frustrated for a moment, before the amusement returned. "Hey, I wonder if his throat was cut open by the same thing that was in Liorah's," he snickered. "Fingernail clippers of doom."

Lucifer gritted his teeth slightly, fixing his older brother with a glare. "You're being incredibly disrespectful, Michael."

"Oh, relax," Michael told him, his voice dropping slightly as he smirked at his brother. "We all know the two of them are in a much, much better place now." Lucifer thought about that for a moment, eventually relenting. Heaven had been horrible for him, but he knew that it was a better place for the poor souls than Hell. The Devil sighed and shook his head, looking away for a moment.

"I'll look into contacting her boyfriend," he mumbled. "Check back in with Miss Turner, get a name out of her."

"That's my Little Lightbringer," Michael snickered, amber eyes sparkling with amusement as he stared down at his brother. Lucifer narrowed his eyes slightly, glaring up at him wordlessly before turning away, back to Ella and Chloe. Chloe had turned her attention to the arguing archangels, looking rather suspicious now as she eyed Michael, but Ella was completely focused on Ashton.

"You know," Michael spoke up again after a moment, looking thoughtful. "Possible he still killed Liorah, then came back and offed himself…"

"In that case, the murder weapon should be here," Lucifer told him, his gaze flickering to the floor around the chair - The room was practically spotless, and there certainly weren't any fingernail clippers lying about. "Something, at least. But, no. This wasnt a suicide, Michael, this was murder." Michael gave nothing more than a grunt of acknowledgement, eyes narrowing wordlessly, and Lucifer went back to staring at the floor.

"Well, fine," Michael eventually sighed, and Lucifer didn't have to look to know he was grinning again. "I love a good mystery." He brushed past Lucifer, lightly clapping him on the back as he did. The Devil bit back a gasp and screwed his eyes shut. His brother had done that on purpose, he knew. The marks where he'd cut off his wings were still sensitive, and they hurt like all Hell on contact - Especially since Michael was purposefully trying to hurt him. By the time he'd recovered, Michael had left, and Lucifer straightened up, shoving his hands into his pockets and gritting his teeth.

"Are you okay?" Chloe took a few steps toward him, eyes wide with concern. Lucifer blinked, looking down at her and forcing a small smile, glancing after his brother.

"Just fine, Detective," he assured, clearing his throat. "But, now, this isn't about me, is it? Of course not. Miss L-" He started toward Ella, but paused when Chloe tugged on his suit jacket, narrowing her eyes as she pulled him back.

"Look, as much as I like you being responsible for once, there's clearly something going on here."

"Detective, two people are dead and the killer is still out there," Lucifer muttered, meeting her gaze. He was internally pleading at this point, not wanting to talk about this - Especially not with Michael nearby. "Now isn't really the time to worry about my brother issues, hm?" When Chloe continued to stare, the Devil frowned. "Look, we… We can talk about this later. Just, not…" He glanced after Michael.

Chloe's eyes flickered, understanding crossing her face, and she nodded and let him go. Lucifer offered a small smile before lightly brushing past her to head over to Ella and Ashton, sparing the dead man a glance before turning back to Ella. "Alright, Miss Lopez, what've you got?"

"It's weird," Ella hummed, putting her camera down and turning her wide-eyed gaze to Lucifer. "No signs of struggle or anything - But the chair was facing the door, so it would have been impossible for someone to sneak up on him. No sign of forced entry either."

"So he knew whoever did this," Lucifer mumbled, clicking his teeth together and looking down for a moment.

"Not only that - Trusted 'em." Ella shook her head, tilting her head for a moment before speaking up again. "Well, I'll know more when we can get him out of here. Try and figure out exactly what's done this." She nodded to the cut on Ashton's neck, a nice, neat little slice across. Lucifer followed her gaze, frowning a little as he looked the dead man up and down. It must have been a pretty horrible way to go.

"Have you already tested for fingerprints?"

"Well, my guys are working on it," Ella replied, picking the camera back up. "Hopefully whoever did this wasn't wearing gloves."

"Hopefully," Lucifer mumbled, stepping back and glancing after Michael. He didn't really want to follow his brother - Much less ride in a car with him again… But he did have to get back to the police station. The Devil bit down on his lip before turning back to Chloe, who had just been listening in silence, staring at Ashton. "Detective," he hummed, catching her attention. "Any chance I can hitch a ride back to the station with you?"

Chloe blinked, and opened her mouth, seemingly about to question why he wasn't riding back with Michael - But she seemed to remember, to realize, because she snapped her mouth shut for a second before responding. "Of course, Lucifer."

"Wonderful," Lucifer hummed, offering her a smile through the relief. Well, he'd dodged that. Now if only he could avoid Michael like that for the rest of the day, he'd be all good.

So, he headed out at Chloe's side, and for a moment, just a moment, it was back to normal. He noticed the car he and Michael had arrived in was gone - His brother had left without him anyway. Well, that was good, at least, his brother wouldn't have any protests to him riding with Chloe. He sighed, though he couldn't really bring himself to be happy about that, exactly. He'd still have to deal with Michael later, he wouldn't be free forever.

And now that he was gone, he guessed he had a bit of an explanation to give to Chloe.

The Devil frowned a little, getting in the car and shutting the door wordlessly. Chloe got into the driver's side, putting the key in the ignition and starting the engine, casting a glance toward Lucifer as she pulled pulled out and started driving. Lucifer simply looked out the window, watching everything else pass by for a moment as they drove.

It was Chloe who broke the silence. "Were you in a cult?"

Lucifer blinked once, then again, tilting his head and trying to figure out if he'd actually heard that correctly, turning his head to stare at the Detective. Her expression was completely serious, and her gaze kept flickering from the road to Lucifer and back again, waiting for a response. When Lucifer realized she wasn't joking, he twisted in his seat to face her. "No, Detective."

"I just don't-" Chloe cut off, letting out a huff. "Your _brother_ shows up and starts saying crap about you, and your Father, and going back - And you clearly don't _want_ to and just, the way you interact, it's not even like _siblings_ , you know? I mean - Yes, I'm an only child, but… And it would explain the Devil stuff and…"

"Detective, I assure you, I am not in a cult," Lucifer sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. "Me and Michael have a complicated relationship. He's less my brother and more…" He trailed off, glancing away for a second. "Well, I worked under him. It was his job to teach me things, so I suppose you could say he was more of a mentor."

Chloe seemed to consider that for a moment, looking faintly confused. She took a turn, and Lucifer gripped the seat a little tighter, glancing over to make sure she had her seatbelt on. A little hypocritical of him considering he hadn't bothered with his, but whatever - He cared more about Chloe's safety. "What do you mean, teach you things?" She finally questioned, quite obviously at a loss. "What did he teach you?"

"Oh, all sorts of things," Lucifer responded, keeping his gaze fixed out the window. "Mostly fighting, though I was never quite sure that would come in handy, with us being angels. Dad never quite approved of that particular thing - And of course, it all came back to bite Michael in the you-know-where when I rebelled," he smiled a little, proud of himself for a moment.

Chloe sighed, shaking her head a little and staring ahead. "Lucifer, can we please just - For once, talk without bringing up that metaphor?" She prompted. Lucifer looked toward her for a second without quite moving his head, returning his gaze to look out the window almost immediately after. That was probably the best part about talking to Chloe - She was so practical, so "see it to believe it", that no matter what Lucifer said about who he was - _what_ he was - She never believed him. For some reason, it just made talking to her so much easier.

"Right. Well, long story short, Michael and I are less close than most of our other siblings. I'd prefer any of them over him - Even stone-cold Raphael." Lucifer rolled his eyes, looking down at his hands for a moment before speaking again. "I don't want to go home, Detective."

Chloe glanced at him, gaze lingering for a moment before she looked ahead again. "Then don't."

"I wish it were that simple," Lucifer mumbled, staring out the window once more. Chloe went silent, and Lucifer kept his mouth shut for the rest of the ride, finally forcing his signature smile at Chloe when they were back at the station. "Thank you for the ride, Detective."

"Of course, Lucifer," Chloe sighed, offering him a small smile back. Lucifer gazed at her for a moment, silent and speechless, before simply turning and opening the door, getting out. He pushed the door shut behind him, glancing around briefly for the car he and Michael had been in previously, but there was no sign of his brother now. Which relieved Lucifer greatly as the Devil turned and headed into the station, once more falling into step with Chloe. "So, are you going to talk to Zoe a bit more?"

"Indeed. She hasn't left yet, has she?" Lucifer paused, glancing over at the Detective.

"Nope, we're holding her for a little while until we know she's not in danger," Chloe explained, keeping her gaze fixed ahead. "Considering what we just found, she'll probably be in custody for a little while longer." After a moment's pause, she looked up at Lucifer. "You know, I really am proud that you're taking this case seriously."

"Well, whatever it takes to get back to being _your_ partner," Lucifer chuckled, letting out a soft sigh and looking away. Chloe chuckled a little herself before brushing past him and heading off in another direction; Lucifer cleared his throat and straightened up before heading for the interrogation room.

Zoe was leaning over the table, arms crossed and her head in her arms, eyes shut. However, she lifted her head when Lucifer entered, and the Devil offered a smile to her as he shut the door behind him. "Detective Morningstar?" The girl mumbled, rubbing her eyes and sitting up completely.

"Yes, hello Miss Turner," Lucifer hummed, walking over and pulling the chair out to sit across from her, crossing one leg over the other and leaning forward. "I'd like to know what you can tell me about your sister's boyfriend. Like, a name, for starters."

Zoe blinked, seeming faintly surprised by that as she leaned back in the chair. "Alexander Miles," she responded, shaking her head. "But, um, he would never do this. He loved Liorah." Her voice cracked a little as she spoke, rubbing at her eyes.

"Right," Lucifer mumbled, staring at her for a moment. There was a certain expression on her face that the Devil recognized - Apprehension, waiting for something horrible to happen, anxiety, Hell - Bone deep terror. And it didn't seem like this was because of what had happened, no - To Lucifer, it looked like the girl had always seemed to expect the worst.

Something stirred in the back of Lucifer's mind, a simple, fleeting thought that lasted a second, barely enough for Lucifer to grip onto. He dropped his gaze for a second, studying his hands folded neatly in his lap, and narrowed his eyes. "Miss Turner, what was your sister like?"

There was silence for a moment as Zoe considered the question, taking in a shuddering breath and letting it out slowly as she looked down. "Um… She was… She was sweet, for- For the most part, and, uh, she loved acting. A lot." She seemed to grow more uncomfortable as she spoke, staring down as she twisted her hands together.

"And your relationship with her, what was that like? I suspect the two of you were close?" Lucifer prompted. Zoe flinched - Just faintly, and barely noticeable, but she flinched.

"I guess so."

"Do you have any other siblings?" Lucifer questioned, the gears in his head turning. Zoe sighed, shaking her head and looking up at him.

"No, it's… It's always just been me and Liorah."

Lucifer nodded, staring at her in silence for a moment, then cleared his throat and leaned forward. He locked his gaze with Zoe's, holding eye contact with ease. "You seem afraid, Miss Turner."

Zoe's eyes widened, but her gaze held, unable to look away. "I… I am afraid…" She whispered, her voice slightly shaky now. "B- But I don't… I don't want to be afraid, I… I want…"

"Yes?" Lucifer lowered his chin slightly, holding her gaze. "What do you want?"

Zoe's lower lip trembled, tears brewing in her eyes as she stared at the Devil, unable to break eye contact and unable to stop talking. "I just want to be safe," she breathed.

Lucifer blinked, tilting his head and opening his mouth to speak. Before he could, however, the door opened again - Taking his attention off of Zoe. He broke eye contact and looked up, watching Michael take a few steps into the room. His brother nodded to Zoe, but he didn't look at her. "Sammy." He gestured to the door.

"Right…" Lucifer grimaced, disappointed and annoyed at the interruption, and he offered Zoe a small smile before getting up. "Thank you, Miss Turner." Zoe only nodded as Lucifer turned, leaving the room before his brother and turning to face him when he heard the door shut behind the both of them. "Nice timing, Michael," he grumbled.

"Whatever. Did you get a name?" Michael shoved his hands into his pockets, lifting his chin and fixing him with a calm stare.

"I did. Alexander Miles," Lucifer sighed, shaking his head and glancing past him, looking through the window of the interrogation room for a moment. Michael hummed and nodded, biting down on his lip and glancing down at Lucifer.

"Alright. We'll track him down, bring him in for questioning."

"It doesn't matter," Lucifer muttered, looking up at his older brother. "He didn't do it."


	7. Chapter 7

"What do you mean?" Michael tilted his head at his younger brother, shifting back a little on his feet and steadying himself against the door of the interrogation room. Lucifer paused, glancing inside again, before turning back to his brother. Michael raised his eyebrows.

"I _mean_ ," Lucifer sighed, running his fingers through his hair and gesturing toward the room. "Zoe killed her sister," he said matter-of-factly after a few moments. A look of surprise crossed Michael's face for a second - Genuine surprise, and it was the most emotion he'd seen from his older brother besides the cold, morbid amusement.

"Really?" Michael prompted, narrowing his eyes. "And how could you possibly know this, Sammy?"

Lucifer huffed, choosing to ignore the nickname this time, but he did pause for a few moments before replying. "I don't know," he answered honestly. "I don't know, but I know." Again, his gaze flickered toward the room, then back to his brother, frowning. "Not only this, I think she had reason to. She got rather scared when I brought up Liorah again, as if just thinking about her terrified the poor girl."

"Mm." Michael glanced back over his shoulder. "So, then, let's arrest her."

"We don't have proof," Lucifer groaned, internally face-palming. Michael sighed, rolling his eyes and glancing back at his younger brother, annoyed. "We have to get proof before we can arrest her, and so far we have zilch."

"Samael, this job of yours is incredibly boring," Michael grumbled, looking his brother up and down for a moment. "Alright, then what? How do we get proof?"

"Interrogate Alexander Miles, for starters," Lucifer mumbled, shaking his head and dropping his gaze to the floor. "We'll need to keep Zoe here…" He frowned. Honestly, if Zoe really did murder Liorah - And for the reason Lucifer suspected - He honestly felt quite bad for the girl. The Devil cleared his throat and stepped back. "Run fingerprints, also, if Miss Lopez has anything from either crime scenes - Which we'll need to look back over for anything we've missed, now that we've got new information," he added.

Michael gave him an interested look, amusement sparkling through his amber eyes. He lifted his chin slightly, cocking his head to the side and raising his eyebrows. "Gotta say, Sammy, you're not too bad at this police stuff."

"Mm." Lucifer shook his head and looked away. Had it been anyone else to say that to him, he would've felt a little proud of himself. But this was Michael talking to him, and a compliment from Michael made his heart drop to his stomach, twisting in a painful, disappointed way. He felt no satisfaction from it at all - Just… Bitter, annoyed, and… Some other emotion he didn't care to identify. "I suppose I'm not."

* * *

"We're probably not going to be able to track down Alexander tonight, Lucifer. You should go home."

Lucifer stared down at his hands, gritting his teeth together silently. He wasn't sure why - And he knew Chloe didn't mean it the way Michael did. But _go home_ struck a cord with him, it made him think back to his brother, to Heaven. For the first time in so _long_ , he'd have to go back there. He'd be able to face his father again, face his siblings. And he only had a month to prepare himself. The Devil groaned, burying his face into his hands and staying silent for a moment, not even bothering to look up at Chloe.

He wasn't even waiting for Alexander, either. He knew the man hadn't done it, and he didn't care. It had been hours after the information was given, and he'd requested for Zoe to stay overnight at the police station. It had been revealed after further testing that Ashton had been killed before Liorah, and they were at a loss.

And Lucifer really, really wished people would stop telling him to go home. He had a therapy appointment anyway - And Dad knows he needed to vent all of this to Linda anyway. Michael couldn't take that from him. He could take his job, he could take him away from Chloe, he could take away his Dad-damned free will in a month, but he could not and was not going to take this.

"Hey." Chloe knelt down beside him - Lucifer was sitting on the floor, his back to some random desk - And nudged his shoulder to get his attention. "Will you be okay to go home?" As she spoke, he watched her eyes flicker toward Michael, who was boredly mulling around his desk, going through some other paperwork. Lucifer idly wondered how much paperwork his brother could really have.

He forced a small smile at Chloe, eyes flickering uncertainly as he shrugged. "Probably."

Chloe blinked, shaking her head and sinking down beside him with a sigh. "Well, you can come back with me," she suggested, glancing at Lucifer before turning her gaze to the ceiling. "Sleep on the couch."

Lucifer smiled a little at the offer, looking down at his hands and shaking his head. "No," he sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. "Thank you, Detective, but I can't. I… Have therapy anyway, so." He cleared his throat and reluctantly pushed himself up. Chloe nodded, not moving just yet and tilting her head at the Devil as he turned back to face her. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Tomorrow - Lucifer was _dreading_ tomorrow. He'd have to spend the day with Michael again, since he was still his partner for this case. But Chloe was now also working the case, which would make it a little more tolerable, so…

"Right," Chloe replied, nodding slightly and leaning her head back. "Tomorrow." Again, her gaze flickered to Michael, the unspoken question hanging in the air. _And we'll see him, too, won't we?_ Lucifer sighed, glancing at his brother, before offering Chloe a small smile and turning away. He didn't look at Michael as he passed, but his brother stopped him with a hand on his shoulder before Lucifer could leave, lightly pulling him back in front of him and turning to face him, head tilting to the side and those cold amber eyes meeting Lucifer's.

"Why bother with therapy anymore, Samael? You're going home, it doesn't really matter anymore."

Lucifer gave his older brother an exasperated glance, then looked past him, just itching to get the Hell out of there. "That is _not my name_ ," he finally grumbled, shifting slightly and shrugging him off as he continued. "Besides, Dr. Linda is my friend and one of the people I have to say goodbye to, and you told me to tie up loose ends and send out my farewells," he added pointedly, fixing his brother with a glare.

"Mm, fair enough," Michael conceded, rolling his eyes. Lucifer nodded and walked past him, sucking in a sharp breath when Michael patted him on the back - He made it look casual, but he put a lot of force behind it, and it hurt. Despite this, Lucifer swallowed, raised his head, and continued on his way, gritting his teeth together wordlessly.

Now he knew the real meaning of "Hell on Earth", huh?

* * *

"So your brother, Michael, has come to take you to Heaven."

"Yes," Lucifer huffed, pacing restlessly from one side of the room to the other. He hadn't been able to stop moving since he entered the office, suddenly somehow more anxious without Michael there than he had been with his brother. "In a month, Linda - A month. Just a month in Earth and then I- I have to go back to _that_ dreadful place, and…"

Linda nodded, her gaze never moving from Lucifer. Honestly, the Devil appreciated his therapist greatly - Even knowing who he was, she was still willing to try to help him. Though, Lucifer still wasn't sure what needed to be helped - But, that's why he was there. Sure, he had issues, but he was fine for the most part.

Or, he had been until…

"I can't…" Lucifer trailed off, taking a deep breath and turning to face her again, forcing himself to stop facing. "I can't go back _there_ , Linda, I can't. And I can't even - Run back to Hell, now, and… This has all just…" He shook his head and continued to pace, scrubbing a hand over his mouth before throwing both his arms up in exasperation. "And it would have been fine, if he hadn't decided to stick around, too!"

"You seem very upset about him being here in particular," Linda commented, tilting her head and trying to meet Lucifer's gaze. "Maybe a little scared?"

Lucifer paused for a second, glancing at her, before looking away. He decided to stare out the window, frowning as he thought about that, before shaking his head and turning back to her once more. "Well, you would be too," he finally managed, keeping his voice steady. After a moment, he strode over to the couch, forcing himself to sit down. He bounced one leg up and down restlessly, hands fidgeting with his suit jacket as he stared down. "I mean, this isn't just any archangel, it's - _Michael_. Soldier of Heaven - _Dick_ of Heaven and my own, personal _tormentor._ "

"Tormentor?" Linda repeated, eyebrows pinching together as she stared at Lucifer. The Devil chuckled dryly, nodding and running his fingers through his hair as he sat back, looking up at Linda and forcing himself to focus.

"Yes, Doctor. Tormentor," he stated. "You see, Michael… Michael was supposed to _train_ me. Along with my other siblings - Teach me all I know about _Heaven_ and being an angel and a few little fight moves he threw in when he was bored…" He stopped, and shook his head before continuing. "He called himself my mentor, and in turn, I called him my _tor_ mentor."

"I see." Linda stared at him, concern flickering clearly through her eyes, as well as confusion as she leaned back in her chair. "And you're scared of him because…"

"Because he tormented me!" Lucifer exclaimed, then winced, lowering his voice. "I mean, he was always rough with us, but he had it in for me. The put-downs, the fights." He shook his head, looking down. "Michael always made sure that despite everything, I knew I was below him. And now that he's here, he's doing the _exact same thing_. Calling me _Samael_ , and my wings haven't grown back again yet and he keeps hitting me in the back and it hurts and he's just-" He cut off, shaking his head.

Linda nodded, looking away for a moment, toward the window. "So what are you going to do about going back to Heaven?"

Lucifer went silent for a moment at that, shaking his head side to side and ducking his head. "I don't know," he mumbled. "I don't know what I could do, honestly. Michael's not going to give up and he's not going to leave unless I go with him, and Dad knows I'm not willing to fight him…" He huffed out a bitter laugh. "Probably why he sent him this time around."

"Right," Linda sighed, frowning slightly now as she stared down at her hands. Lucifer gazed at her for a moment, falling silent. Honestly, he felt a little bad for ranting all of this to her - They were friends, she wasn't just his therapist, and he didn't really mean to worry her. And, wow, he really, really did not want to say goodbye.

Lucifer cleared his throat, sitting back and forcing himself to speak again. "On another note," he piped up. "Pierce has disappeared - Conveniently when Michael appeared…" He trailed off, eyes narrowing. "But, he told the Detective that he was using his vacation days to take off for a little while, so I won't have to deal with two dicks."

"Well, that's good," Linda responded, tilting her head and staring at Lucifer. "Speaking of, how are things with you and Chloe?"

Lucifer paused, glancing at her. "Fine," he replied, forcing a smile. "Same as usual. She asked me if I was in a cult today, you know." At this, Linda cracked a smile and let out a small laugh. Lucifer's smile warmed slightly, much more genuine and relieved. "Now, enough about me, Linda," he hummed, leaning forward. "Session over, I'd like to hear about you now."

"Oh, really?" Linda tilted her head, quirking an eyebrow and grinning at him.

"Of course," Lucifer responded, smile brightening. "No reason for me to keep being depressing, eh? You're much more interesting, anyway. And I could use the distraction," he offered, cocking his head to the side. Linda chuckled.

"Well, if you insist."

* * *

When he got back to the penthouse, the first thing he saw when he stepped through the elevator doors was Amenadiel, pouring himself a glass of wine. He looked up when Lucifer walked in, and the Devil paused, glancing at his oldest brother before heading around to grab a bottle of whiskey. "Everything alright, Luci? You seem tense."

Lucifer chuckled, twisting the cap off the bottle and lifting it to his lips, taking several gulps before turning back to his brother, clearing his throat and waiting a moment before speaking. "If you ever, ever call me Samael for any reason, I will bash your mortal head into a wall," he seethed. Listening to Linda had calmed him just a bit, but on the way back to Lux, all the anger he'd repressed for his brother had come rushing right back.

Amenadiel seemed completely stunned by that for a moment, his gaze not moving from Lucifer for a second as the Devil lifted the bottle of whiskey to his lips and continued to drink. Eventually, Amenadiel cleared his throat and leaned over the bar, concern sparkling through his eyes. "I haven't called you that since Heaven, Luci, and I don't plan to," he told him seriously. "Come on, what's got you like this?"

Lucifer shook his head, setting the bottle down on the counter a little too roughly and lifting his gaze to his brother. And for a while, he stayed silent, just staring, before forcing himself to speak. "Michael."


	8. Chapter 8

After Amenadiel finished getting more information out of Lucifer as to why Michael was there - To bring Lucifer to Heaven in exactly a month - His oldest brother had decided to help calm Lucifer's nerves by taking the whiskey from him and pouring him a nice glass of a mix of _vodka_ and whiskey. Lucifer didn't protest, for once, as his brother sat him down and turned the TV on, switching it to some random show and sitting beside him. Since Lucifer honestly wasn't tired, he stayed up even after Amenadiel fell asleep beside him.

As he listened to Amenadiel snoring beside him, he couldn't help but think back to how it used to be - Just like this, without the alcohol and TV. After a day of pure torment and _torture_ from Michael, Amenadiel would sit him down and… They'd talk. Or they'd just sit quietly until one or both of them fell asleep. In any case, Amenadiel was the one to comfort him when Michael finished terrorizing him.

The Devil sighed and sipped at his drink, which was steadily growing emptier. Amenadiel had insisted this was his last shot after he'd downed at least three of them back to back, so he'd been taking his time with the one he had now. Then again, his oldest brother was asleep, and there was nothing left to stop Lucifer from grabbing another bottle and pouring himself a shot. Not like he could really get wasted, anyhow.

But, out of respect for his brother's wishes and feeling a little too lazy to get up to pour himself a drink, he finished off his last shot and sat back, turning his attention to the TV wordlessly. He still wasn't at all tired, and the TV didn't really interest him at all… Lucifer frowned, looking down and twisting his hands together. He really wanted to solve this case to get things back to normal as far as work went - But, at the same time, part of him didn't… For a multitude of reasons.

Funny, he usually wanted to punish the sinners. Then again, a sinner had already been punished…

Lucifer sighed, looking over at Amenadiel for a moment before pushing himself up and brushing himself off, turning and heading back to the bar. He set the glass down on the counter, but he didn't grab another bottle, instead seating himself in one of the stools and crossing his arms over the table, laying his head down.

"I have to go back to Heaven," he mumbled to himself, voice muffled. His fingers curled into fists, tapping his knuckles against the counter, and he groaned. "I have to go back to Heaven with - With Dad…" After a moment of consideration, he let out a mirthless laugh. "Hell… I have to go back to Heaven with _Michael_ ," he whispered.

Silence fell after that, besides the gentle snores from Amenadiel. Lucifer sighed and lifted his head, eventually grabbing the bottle of whiskey Amenadiel had taken from him before and putting it to his lips, taking a small sip. It tasted more bitter than usual.

"Oh, you're getting a kick out of this, aren't you?" The Devil asked dryly after a moment, lifting his head briefly toward the ceiling before looking back down, setting the bottle down in front of him. He lightly spun it around, clicking his teeth. "And you sent him because you know… You know he's the only one who could make me come back _there_. Oh, my, Dad - You're a smart one sometimes. But I have to wonder why you didn't just send him to get me back to Hell in the first place… Though, there's always the chance that I wouldn't have stayed put in the end."

He cocked his head, not quite expecting a response, and he didn't get one. Lucifer chuckled wryly and lifted the bottle back up, taking a sip and clearing his throat as he continued. "Ah. Dear old Dad, of course you knew that. You know everything," he muttered bitterly, coughing and setting the bottle back down. "So what? What are you going to do to me when I'm in Heaven, hm? Lock me up, hold me prisoner, punish me for not obeying your every command? Perhaps for what happened with Uriel? Though, if you cared about Uriel, this might have happened sooner." He lifted his gaze to the ceiling, then looked back down at the bottle of whiskey.

"I don't know what more I expected from you," Lucifer sighed, tapping his fingers against the bottle idly. "Though, this? Sending Michael to deal with me, of all angels - Effective, yes, but such a low blow, even for _you_." He grimaced, clenching his teeth together and glaring up at the ceiling once more. "Knowing our history, as well. I'm guessing that he's going to be the one that tortures me. Keeps me in line. Are you going to force me to work for you again? Is that it? Forcing me to be one of your angels. Of course. First the wings, and now Michael - It _never ends_ , does it? You will _never_ stop trying to control me until I just, what? Roll over and give up and bend to your every will?"

Still no response. Lucifer squeezed his eyes shut, lowering his head and tightening his grip on the bottle. "This has nothing to do with you, _Dad_ ," he hissed, his voice starting to shake from the anger, bubbling up and over again. "I'm not doing this because of you, you realize this, don't you? How does it feel knowing you still can't control me - Or." He paused, and laughed bitterly. "Or maybe you can. Through him. Hilarious, how you use your _children_ as weapons against each other. How you don't even care. Of course, none of it matters, nothing matters as long as _you're_ the one in control, you _manipulative bastard_."

There was nothing but the sound of glass shattering in response, and Lucifer opened his eyes and looked down. He'd squeezed the bottle too hard, now broken in his hand as he clenched his fist tighter around it. He let it go abruptly, whiskey, but no blood, running down his hand as he quietly brushed the glass off on his pants, spinning around and standing up. It hadn't hurt, but it was a waste of whiskey, ultimately.

He sighed, sparing a glance toward Amenadiel, who was still fast asleep, before glancing back at the half-broken bottle on the table. He brushed his hand off again and turned away, heading to his room. Not that he planned on sleeping, but he did just need to lay back and try to relax. His anger was at its peak right then, and he needed to control it.

He got halfway to his room when he heard the familiar sound of wings fluttering behind him, and he froze in his tracks. His gaze darted to the floor, and he gritted his teeth before spinning around to stare at Michael, who cocked his head to the side and stared at him in amusement, amber eyes flickering. He folded his wings back, both of them disappearing effortlessly as he walked forward to stand in front of his brother, and Lucifer edged back instinctively.

"Oh, relax, I'm not here to torture you," Michael chuckled, amber eyes gleaming. "But I can't sleep. Clearly you can't, either. Compromise. Let's work on the case."

"Get out," Lucifer told him quietly, anger returning. For a moment, just a moment, it was enough to take away the fear. "Get out."

"Sammy, c'mon." Michael did the exact opposite of that. He walked forward, amber eyes brightening with that familiar fire, and Lucifer gritted his teeth, unable to move his gaze. "You're stuck with me for the month, get over it. I get it, you're scared. You should be! Because the only thing - And I mean the _only_ thing - Stopping me from ripping you apart piece by piece is that you've been oh-so cooperative thus far and I haven't felt the need to put you in your place."

Lucifer stayed silent, swallowing and leaning back as Michael stopped in front of him, barely any space between them as his older brother stared down at him. "Dad told me to return you to Heaven in one piece, Little Lightbringer, but he didn't tell me I couldn't rip you apart and put you back together before then."

Michael grinned sharply, and Lucifer tried not to flinch, holding his gaze wordlessly. "So, what's it going to be, Sammy?"

Lucifer had honestly been about to relent. But that last word - Simple as it was - It set him off. The Devil growled, lifted his chin, and glared straight into his brother's eyes. His own eyes darkened, blazing a bright red for a second before settling back to normal. "Get. _Out_ ," he snarled, stepping up to his brother and lifting his head. He still had to look up at Michael, but, for once, he felt a lot less terrified while facing him.

"Mm," Michael sighed, and smiled, cold and calculating. "I was hoping you'd say that." With that, he grabbed Lucifer by the front of his shirt, spun them both around, and shoved him back with unsurprising force. The strength the archangel put into the throw sent Lucifer flying through the air, crashing back into the shelf of alcohol behind the bar. The Devil fell to his knees, gasping, before summoning the strength to push himself up.

Michael's amber eyes were glowing, filled with amusement and rage all at once, his wings once more spread out. Lucifer gritted his teeth and pushed himself up all the way, straightening up. He couldn't let Michael intimidate him, not this time.

"Come on, Samael, this could be avoided so easily," Michael hissed. With a simple beat of his wings, he was in front of Lucifer, one hand clasped around his younger brother's neck. The archangel lifted him up, forcing him into the air and bringing Lucifer up to his level. "But, then again, I'm not complaining," he breathed. "I've always loved kicking your ass."

"Go to Hell," Lucifer choked out, ignoring the slight irony to that statement. He shoved himself forward, kicking Michael as hard as he could and sending the older archangel smashing back into the opposite wall. Lucifer managed to land on his feet, gripping the counter tightly with one hand and glaring at his brother through blazing red eyes. At that point, Amenadiel had long awoken and had scrambled off the couch, gaze darting between them.

Lucifer spared him a glance, a clear warning for him not to get involved. Amenadiel was mortal now, and Lucifer couldn't afford to let anything happen to his brother while he was vulnerable. This was his fight with Michael, and while it was a fight he wasn't sure he was going to win, he didn't want to just give in so easily this time. Not this time.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," Michael sneered at Amenadiel, shoving himself away from the wall and taking a few steps toward Lucifer. "Did you have sweet dreams?" He lunged, and before Lucifer could react, his brother had crossed the room and grabbed him by the shirt, lifting him up into the air and swinging him around to slam him back into one of the walls. The Devil heard a sharp snarl from their oldest brother, but Michael paid no heed to the warning, grinning at Lucifer coldly.

"Don't mind us," his older brother added to Amenadiel, not taking his gaze off of Lucifer. "Just a little bit of a conflict, right, Samael?"

"Samael is _not my name_!" Lucifer roared, hands flying up. He grabbed his brother by the front of his shirt and pushed him off of him, keeping his grip firm and steady as he spun around and slammed Michael back into the wall that Lucifer had previously been pinned against. Michael seemed a little surprised, but mostly amused, as if he realized he was definitely going to be winning this fight. That cocky ass smile did nothing to calm Lucifer's nerves. At all.

"Michael, Lucifer, stop," Amenadiel ordered sharply, taking a few steps toward them. Lucifer turned his head toward his oldest brother, then back to Michael, just in time to see his older brother waving a hand toward Amenadiel. By the time Lucifer turned back to look, Amenadiel had gone.

"There. Now." Michael had grabbed Lucifer by his hair, yanking his head back and slamming his fist into the Devil's throat. When Lucifer released him, gasping, Michael took the chance to spin him around and turn, once more slamming him into the wall, this time with his back facing Michael. "You seem to forget, Little Lightbringer, you learned all your tricks from the best," the older archangel hissed, slamming his hand into Lucifer's back.

The Devil bit his tongue to keep himself from yelling out from the pain, trying to shove himself back to get Michael off of him, but his brother's grip was firm. " _Stop_." He snarled, though he knew at this point it was no use. He was strong - Strong enough to even take down Amenadiel a few times. But Michael was the _fighter_ of Heaven. Michael was the _soldier_. The _warrior_. Michael was the one who had trained _Amenadiel_ , for crying out loud. Lucifer barely stood a chance against his oldest brother - There was no way he could fight Michael. And when his older brother had him pinned, he knew he was a goner.

"You really thought you could beat me," Michael laughed, sounding amused. His fingers dug into Lucifer's back - Right there where one of the scars were, and the Devil finally couldn't bite back the yell this time, still trying to twist around and push him away. "Or maybe you just wanted to go down in a blaze of glory?"

"Michael," Lucifer gasped, slamming his head into the wall and gritting his teeth, breathing heavily. So that was why Michael had been touchy-feely all day, figuring out Lucifer's weak spots in case this happened. And now he was using it against him. "Stop."

"Hey, Samael, I was okay going without a fight," Michael commented. At this point, his fingers had ripped through Lucifer's shirt with the strength he was using, fingernails ripping into the skin. The younger archangel snarled from the pain as his brother continued. "You're the one that wanted to try and be all big and bad and tough and try and show me up. How's that working out for you, Sammy boy?"

"I said _stop_!" Lucifer finally managed to shove himself back, spinning around and slamming his fist into Michael's face. He hadn't really meant to, and he knew it would piss him off, but right then, his back hurt like all Hell and he just wanted to curl up and stop feeling it all. He took a moment to catch his breath and recover as Michael stood still, eyes narrowed, rubbing a hand across his face wordlessly.

"Oh, oh, Little Lightbringer," Michael sighed, and at that point, his eyes were literally blazing with fire. Lucifer stiffened, swallowing as he leaned back. "You shouldn't have done _that_."

* * *

By the time Michael finally stopped, Lucifer was practically begging. The Devil usually wasn't so easily hurt, but it turned out Michael had also brought a few of his weapons from Heaven - Many of them that Lucifer recognized - And the torture went on for hours. Lucifer had, eventually, stopped fighting back. But even for a while after that, he'd refused to start pleading for Michael to stop - Until he just. Couldn't take it anymore. His brother had no problem ripping him apart, and he only stopped when the sun started to rise, sunlight streaming in through the window and casting a brilliant, bright light across the damaged penthouse.

Lucifer was on the floor, gasping for breath and covered in blood, and a few bruises here and there from his brother throwing a table at him and landing a few good punches, and Michael was standing over him, twisting a bloody sword in his hand and getting ready to stab Lucifer for the… Tenth time, was Lucifer's guess, since he'd brought out the sword. Several other weapons were littered around them - Most of which being knives. Each weapon had a different effect.

Like the sword. Every stab wound, it felt like it was ripping his flesh off, skinning him alive in the most painful way ever.

And Michael eventually tossed the sword to the side, delivering a sharp kick to Lucifer's stomach, which caused the Devil to hiss and curl in on himself. "Get up."

Pissed and hurt, but reminded of exactly why he'd been scared of Michael to begin with, Lucifer reluctantly forced himself up, silently cursing both his brother and his Father. He took in a shaky breath as Michael grabbed his shoulders, pulling him forward and leaning in a little too close for comfort. "Now, listen," his older brother told him, his voice lowering. "You are going to cooperate with me. Be a good little Devil and listen to your big brother, m'kay? No more snide remarks, no more glares, and I swear to Dad if you tell me what I can or cannot call you again, you're going to beg for the _sword_ back, got it?"

Lucifer swallowed and shook his head, but he mumbled a quiet, "yeah."

Michael nodded and released him, shoving him back onto the couch and turning away. "Clean yourself up and meet me at the station." He glanced out the window, and Lucifer followed his gaze, taking in a shaky breath and letting it out slowly. "We've still got that case."

Then, with a simple whoosh of his wings, he had gone. Lucifer groaned and sank back into the couch, bloodstained fingers curling into the cushions. He sat there for a little while, breathing heavily and trying to work up the strength to get up and get ready for the day. He tensed up when the elevator made a soft _ding_ and the doors slid open, but relaxed when he heard a familiar voice yelling his name.

"Luci?!"

"Right here, A- Amenadiel," he broke off, voice hitching in the middle of that sentence as he tried to force himself to stand up. Amenadiel was in front of him in an instant, his hands clasped firmly over Lucifer's already-aching shoulders and gripping tightly as his oldest brother pushed him down onto the couch. "Brother, I…"

"Stop, just don't move," Amenadiel growled firmly, looking him over. None of the wounds were fatal - Michael had made sure of that - They just hurt like Hell and would definitely leave a few marks. "Dammit, Michael- Dammit. Okay. What did he say?" He demanded.

"I have to go to work," Lucifer grumbled, shaking his head and trying to focus. "We… We have a case, he wants me to…" He broke off, another spike of pain rushing over him, and Amenadiel grimaced. "I- I have to get cleaned up. Let me up."

"Hey. You are not getting _cleaned up_ on your own, first off, you look ready to pass out," Amenadiel snapped, holding him down easily. Lucifer huffed and rolled his eyes to the side, shaking his head as Amenadiel continued. "If you have to go, fine. But at least let me help." His brother gave him a pointed look.

Lucifer sighed, staring blankly for a moment before letting out a groan and rolling his eyes again. "Fine."


	9. Chapter 9

Lucifer had reluctantly accepted Amenadiel's help, and they spent the next few hours with the Devil on the couch and Amenadiel fussing over him, stitching his wounds up and repeatedly asking if he needed to see a doctor. Lucifer shot down every attempt at his brother trying to take him to the hospital, trying to hide most of the injuries with his clothes as his brother left him alone to take a shower and change. He sucked in a sharp breath and adjusted his shirt, checking himself over in the mirror. It still hurt like all Hell. Lucifer had managed to heal some of the injuries, but most of them were inflicted with a certain blade that left marks he couldn't heal.

The Devil winced, rubbing his arm - Which hurt noticeably more than anything else, thanks to his brother literally snapping it out of place, breaking it in two different spots, and stabbing him with a dagger at least six times to top it off. He'd healed the broken bones, but he couldn't heal the stab wounds, so Amenadiel had wrapped it up. His suit jacket sleeves, luckily, covered the bandages - And every other wound.

Michael had been careful enough to leave his face unharmed, but his neck had a few noticeable bruises and cuts around it. Lucifer sighed and popped the collar of the jacket up - He never wore it like that, but it seemed he didn't have much of a choice right then.

"Luci, maybe you should just take it easy for a while." Amenadiel's voice startled him - Lucifer flinched despite himself, his heart skipping a few beats and a rush of adrenaline coursing through him until he realized it was just his oldest brother. It wasn't really his fault that he was so jumpy right then, but he still mentally kicked himself for it as he turned to his brother.

"Can't," he told his brother simply. "Michael wants me working this case, for whatever reason. So, I'll work the case. I'll just stick close to the Detective and avoid any more alone time with big bro." He grimaced, rubbing his arm again before forcing his hands back to his sides, shoving them into his pockets and glancing up at Amenadiel.

Amenadiel frowned, looking concerned. And incredibly uneasy.

"Amenadiel," Lucifer huffed, shaking his head. "I'm more worried about what Michael will do to me if I don't show up."

That was enough to make Amenadiel relent - Not that he had much of a choice in the matter - And his oldest brother nodded and stepped back, frowning at his younger brother. "Just be careful, Luci."

"I will be careful, Amenadiel," Lucifer assured, forcing his signature grin and walking past him toward the elevator. "I've got work to do, and I'm not going to let Heaven's Biggest Dick scare me away from that." _Even though at this point, he's basically forcing me into it.  
_

* * *

He stayed silent as he entered the station, freezing for a second when he saw Michael. But his older brother's attention was fixed firmly on whatever he was currently reading in a folder, so Lucifer hesitated before veering around him, keeping a good distance as he passed his older brother and headed for Chloe's desk. Luckily, she was sitting there, going through some papers of her own, but she looked up and smiled when Lucifer approached. "Hey, Lucifer."

"Hello, Detective," Lucifer greeted cheerfully, offering his usually cocky grin. He set two hands down on the desk and leaned over to see what she was reading. "Any news on Alexander?" He prompted, skimming the words on the page.

"Yeah, we tracked him down. Dan's on his way with him now, actually," Chloe replied, tilting her head. She looked Lucifer up and down, her gaze flickering over him silently for the longest time before she spoke up again. "Something's different, what… Wait." She reached out as if to fix the collar of his suit jacket, but he pulled back before she could, tensing up instinctively and trying not to flinch too noticeably.

Chloe pulled back instantly, a look of concern crossing her face as she dropped her hand, pushing her chair back and standing up. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Detective," Lucifer sighed, taking a deep breath and stepping back. He shoved his hands into his pockets, forcing a smile at her once more. It wasn't quite a lie - He was fine, at least now. Chloe stared at him for a moment, then focused on the collar of the suit jacket, eyes narrowing slightly.

"It's buttoned. And…" She trailed off, meeting Lucifer's gaze again. "Are you _really_ okay? Did something happen?"

Lucifer hesitated, then pointedly looked toward Michael, not saying a word. He did a double take, however, when he saw Ella standing over there, leaning against the desk and chattering on with Michael with a grin on her face. Michael wasn't facing her, still flipping through his paperwork, but his lips were twitching slightly, fighting back a smile.

Chloe's hand on his arm snapped him out of his trance, and not just because she was _trying_ to get his attention. It was because it was his _hurt_ arm, and the moment she came into contact with him, the Devil jerked away and doubled over, gripping his arm tightly and letting out a low hiss.

"Oh my God, I'm sorry," Chloe apologized quickly, pulling back and staring with wide eyes. Lucifer shook his head and cleared his throat, straightening up and sucking in a sharp gasp. "You good? Lucifer?"

"All good," Lucifer managed, clearing his throat. "Ah, just - Arm hurts a bit, Detective, no need for concern, now," he added, shoving his hand into his pocket and moving his good arm up, lightly patting Chloe on the shoulder and clearing his throat. The Detective stared at him for a moment before looking over at Michael and Ella - Or, mostly Michael - Then back at Lucifer.

"Did he…"

Lucifer groaned, biting down on his tongue and looking back toward his older brother. He didn't respond, but Chloe must have taken that as confirmation, because she abruptly started past him and headed in Michael's direction. However, before she could get far, he grabbed her gently by the shoulders and pulled her back, easily holding her in place. "Detective-"

"I can arrest him, that's assault-" Chloe seethed, trying to jerk away from him. "You can prove it, right? I'm arresting him."

"Detective," Lucifer hissed again, eyes darting around nervously, then landing on his brother. Michael had looked up, and while Ella remained blissfully distracted and talking his ear off, Michael's amber gaze held Lucifer's with ease.

"Lucifer, seriously, this-"

"Chloe!" Lucifer finally snapped, sucking in a sharp breath. Chloe went still, whether from being snapped at or from Lucifer finally calling her by her actual name - Whatever the reason, she stopped struggling and glanced up at him, looking both concerned and confused. Lucifer held Michael's gaze for a moment before shaking his head and moving around to stand in front of Chloe, still holding onto her shoulders. "Please. Don't."

Chloe stared at him in confusion, glancing past him toward Michael. Eventually, though, she shook her head and turned back to Lucifer, frowning. " _Did he hurt you_." It wasn't a question, but she was demanding an answer.

" _Yes_ ," Lucifer huffed, his grip tightening slightly on her shoulders. Not enough to hurt, but enough to hold her still in case she tried to go toward Michael again. A pair of handcuffs were not going to hold Michael, and even though angels couldn't harm humans - Daddy's orders, and Michael was _great_ at following those - He didn't want Chloe in any potential harm. "Okay? But that's what brothers do, yes? It's fine. I'm alright. I _promise_."

That helped Chloe relax just a little - Because if there was one thing about Lucifer, promises were the most important thing to him.

"Okay. Alright," Chloe sighed, then glared back at Michael for a second. "But I don't trust him. At all." She shot a sharp glance at Lucifer. "And you're coming home with me tonight. No arguments."

"Ooh. Usually I'm the dominant one, but..." Lucifer smirked a little despite himself - Chloe groaned and shoved his hands off her shoulders, spinning around and heading back to her desk. "Oh, I'm joking, Detective." Lucifer let out a small laugh and glanced back over his shoulder, meeting Michael's gaze once more.

His older brother smirked, and gave him a barely noticeable nod of approval before finally turning to Ella, putting the folder away as he said something to her. Lucifer just sighed and turned away, shaking his head. Bullet dodged. This was fine, yeah? Yeah. This was fine.


	10. Chapter 10

Whatever Ella was saying, admittedly, Michael wasn't paying too much attention. Of course - He was amused by the girl, but he wasn't really listening to the words. Instead, he was focusing on her voice - How, when she got excited by something she was saying, her voice would raise drastically in pitch, or lower dramatically for effect. Her emotions poured out so clearly in the way she spoke - And with all the stone faced angels in Heaven, Michael wasn't sure he'd ever seen something like this from any of his siblings. Even Azrael had learned to keep herself guarded after what happened with Lucifer.

Michael had always been one for emotion. Not to say he was the most emotional angel (that would be Lucifer) but he loved searching for it in others because, wow, all of it was amazing to him. And this girl was practically brimming with it - Hell, she was so filled with emotion, such perfect, burning _passion_ that he could practically see it blazing around her.

"Whoa, cross!"

"Hm?" Michael blinked and looked down as Ella reached up, lightly tracing her finger over the cross necklace hanging around Michael's neck. He'd found it abandoned somewhere, and after getting over his fury as to why someone would just leave it lying about, he'd kept it. "Oh, yes. It's quite beautiful, isn't it?" He grinned a little to himself, gazing down at it for a moment before looking back at Ella.

"Yeah, totally! Look." She stepped back and tugged on the little silver chain around her neck, showing off the cross necklace that had previously been tucked in her shirt. Michael took a deep breath and held it for a moment, eyes widening as he stared at it.

" _Magnificent_ ," the archangel breathed, a smile appearing on his face. His amber gaze flickered over the necklace, taking in everything before bringing his gaze back to Ella's. The girl seemed incredibly pleased, tucking the necklace back into her shirt and winking at Michael with a grin on her face.

"Isn't it? Though, it's really nothing compared to the one my friend from Church has."

"You go to Church." Michael cocked his head to the side, his smile only growing as Ella nodded. Honestly - Michael had never really been fond of humans. He didn't care for them, but he didn't really _dislike_ them. He'd always remained indifferent. But this certain human, this one was slowly but surely capturing his attention.

"Psh, of _course_! I can take at least one day off to say hi to the Big Guy," Ella chuckled, nodding toward the ceiling. Michael took it back - This human already had his attention completely. "After all He's done for me, too, y'know?"

"I completely agree," Michael responded, shaking his head. Ella giggled, leaning back against the desk, and Michael tilted his head, smiling at her curiously as the girl continued to laugh. "Oh, my, what's got you chuckling, hm?"

"I just find it so ironic that you're named Michael, Lucifer's, well, named Lucifer - And then Amenadiel, and you're all brothers," Ella admitted, eyes wide as she looked up at Michael. "I'm guessing your parents were really religious, huh?"

"Well, that's…" Michael tilted his head faintly, smile widening. "Yeah, I guess you could say that." He laughed a little despite himself, shaking his head. _Lopez, you've got absolutely no idea._

"Well, I think that's cool!" Ella exclaimed, lightly kicking Michael's foot with her own, and the archangel glanced down for a second in faint surprise before realizing that it was an act of affection, not an attack, and relaxing again. "Especially your name. What's it feel like to be named after Heaven's best soldier, eh? Fighter guy Michael! I know a lot of people think he's kind of overrated, but I think he's _badass_. Especially with that sword, y'know? And…"

As she continued, Michael's smile widened slightly, listening to her. His amber eyes flickered, holding Ella's gaze quietly and tilting his head to the side, staying completely silent and letting her talk. Michael wasn't usually one to look for praise, or really need anyone's approval - Except for his Father's, of course - But for whatever reason, it actually felt really good to hear that. Really, _really_ good.

"Hey, so, you're new here, right?" Ella asked suddenly, and Michael blinked, quickly snapping back to attention and focusing on the girl.

"Very new." He flashed her a small grin, glancing around.

Ella chuckled, and shook her head before continuing. "Well," she started. "I know of _several_ good churches around here, and I've pretty much been to all of them. And if you're interested." She looked down at the cross necklace around Michael's neck, then looked back up, meeting his gaze. "I could show you around."

Michael blinked, tilting his head silently for a moment before grinning. "You know, I'd love that, Ella."

"Good!" Ella chirped, her smile brightening considerably, and Michael chuckled. "Now, I gotta get back to work, but, Sunday, alright?"

"Sunday." Michael nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets. Ella nodded, smiled, and looked him up and down for a moment before suddenly moving forward. Before Michael could react, the girl had wrapped her arms around him - A hug, Michael knew. But, the archangel had _seriously_ never been hugged before. And for a moment, he just froze. "Oh."

Ella didn't seem to mind that reaction, because she continued hugging him. The archangel sucked in a sharp breath and glanced around silently for a moment before hesitantly moving his arms to wrap them around her in return, still not quite sure if that's what he was supposed to be doing. Ella seemed pleased, even letting out a few chuckles, and Michael was trying to ignore the twisting feeling in his gut, and the sensation of his heart seemingly wringing itself dry completely.

"There. See you later, Michael!" Ella pulled back and skipped off, and Michael shook his head desperately, glancing after her with wide eyes. She stopped to hug both Lucifer and Chloe, too, before continuing on her way, and for a second, he caught his younger brother's gaze.

Lucifer stared back at him wordlessly, then looked after Ella, looking confused. Michael cleared his throat and turned away, looking down as he put both hands flat on the desk, taking in a deep breath and holding it. "Oh, that was weird," he mumbled to himself shaking his head again and straightening up. "That was weird."

He shook his head, forcing himself to focus. He looked up when another one of the detectives - Dan? Dan - Walked in, pulling a man in cuffs along with him to the interrogation room. Michael narrowed his eyes, his gaze following the man silently. He then looked toward his younger brother, nodding after Dan when he caught Lucifer's attention, and he watched the Devil give a quick goodbye to Decker before heading after Dan and Alexander as well.

Michael sighed, rubbing his hand over his mouth and turning away. Zoe was in the lounge, since they were still holding her, so he could try and get more information out of her. As he turned, he felt someone shove past him rather roughly, nearly making him lose his balance, and paused for a second to see who it was. Decker. The girl didn't even spare him a passing glance, but the anger coming off of her was unmistakable. Michael tilted his head, watching her go, then glanced back over his shoulder.

After a moment, the archangel rolled his eyes and headed off.


	11. Chapter 11

"I didn't kill Liorah."

It was the first thing out of Alexander's mouth when Lucifer closed the door after Dan had left. The Devil tilted his head toward the man, silent for a moment. Not like he seriously didn't already know that. He _knew_ who the murderer was, and he knew it wasn't just for some stupid, silly reason, either. No, this was actually serious - And it was all falling into place. All the clues, all the research. He took a deep breath, rubbing his arm and turning to look at Alexander, who was leaning across the table, staring at him desperately. "I know you didn't."

"I would n- Wait, what." Alexander stopped, eyes widening a little as he leaned back. Lucifer shrugged and walked over, pulling the other chair out and sitting down. "You do?"

"I do," Lucifer responded, tilting his head to the side. "In fact, I believe I know exactly _who's dunnit_ , but I may need a tad more information." He cleared his throat, leaning forward a little. "What do you know about Zoe?"

"Liorah's sister?" Alexander shook his head a little, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Aw, man, not much, I didn't really see her that often, y'know? I know she's a real jumpy girl, probably 'cause Liorah was a little hard on her."

Lucifer silently cursed himself for being right - He didn't want to be right, not about this one. "And what, exactly, does that mean?"

"Well…" Alexander trailed off, shaking his head with a sigh. "Siblings fight, man. You got any?"

"Several, yes," Lucifer mumbled, rolling his eyes and glancing down. "So, Liorah and Zoe didn't have a completely sweet and happy relationship, then."

"Not really," Alexander admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. Then, inhaling sharply, he looked up at Lucifer with wide eyes. "Y- Do you think that Zoe killed Liorah?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Lucifer sighed, pushing the chair back and standing up. "I do, however, have a pretty good guess. Thank you." With that, he turned to leave, only to stop when Alexander spoke up again.

"What about Liorah's ex? Ashton?"

Lucifer blinked, and stopped, glancing back before turning completely to face him. "Ex?" He echoed, narrowing his eyes. "Ashton Reynolds was Liorah's ex?"

Alexander blinked, and nodded. "Yeah, he might've done it," he said quickly, leaning forward. "He wasn't exactly a nice guy, y'know? But Zoe's a sweet girl, and no matter what Liorah's done, she wouldn't hurt her own sister, would she?"

Lucifer just frowned, head swimming with the new information. So, Ashton was Liorah's ex-boyfriend. The Devil sighed, running his fingers through his hair and stepping back. "Like I said, that's what we're trying to figure out," he repeated, before spinning around and leaving the room. The first person he saw was Dan. "Ah, Detective Douche."

Dan gave him an annoyed look, shaking his head and glancing into the interrogation room, eyes narrowing slightly. "What'd he say?"

"Apparently, Ashton Reynolds was Liorah's ex boyfriend," Lucifer told him, eyebrows raising as he shook his head. "And, also apparently, not a likeable person, either." He glanced back. "Alexander's innocent."

"You think so?" Dan raised an eyebrow, turning his gaze back to the Devil.

"I _know_ so," Lucifer insisted. "I _know_ guilty, Daniel, and Alexander is not. Still," he sighed, shaking his head. "Keep him here, he might have more, much needed information." He straightened up, shoving his hands into his pockets and glancing past him. "Any chance you know where m- Where Michael is?"

"Nah… Hey, what's up with that guy anyway?" Dan demanded, glancing away and looking around the room.

"He's more of a douche than you," Lucifer replied idly, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. "But he won't be here long, so don't worry."

"Yeah, whatever you say, man." Dan tilted his head, narrowing his eyes at Lucifer. "Are you two really brothers?" He asked suddenly. Lucifer frowned, glancing toward Chloe's now-empty desk for a moment, falling silent for a while.

"Unfortunately so," he finally replied, looking back at Dan. "But I suppose it doesn't really matter. Again, won't be here long." He looked down, rubbing his arm again, before clearing his throat. "Anyway, I suppose since both my partner and _temporary_ partner are gone…" He glanced at Dan, raising an eyebrow.

Dan sighed, giving him a deadpan stare, and Lucifer cocked his head to the side. "Okay, not getting the hint. I'll be clear, then." He cleared his throat, turning to face Dan completely. "Daniel, will you do yourself the honor of being my temporary _temporary_ partner?"

Dan groaned and turned away, walking off, and Lucifer chuckled as he followed.

* * *

In just a few hours, Lucifer was practically burying himself in work. He had gotten Liorah's laptop back, and was currently scrolling through. He was also now in a car, sitting in the passenger's seat as Dan drove, the two of them going back to thoroughly look around Liorah and Zoe's house for any more clues, with the new information they'd been given. Lucifer never thought he'd actually willingly be partnering with Dan to really _solve_ a case.

He never thought he'd actually be doing real work. But, he had to admit, he didn't exactly hate it. "She had a lot of haters," Lucifer huffed, rubbing his eyes for a moment before forcing himself to focus on the laptop again. "My head hurts."

"Yes, that's what happens when you actually do the work. Congratulations, Lucifer, you've just gotten your first stress headache," Dan responded sarcastically, and Lucifer wondered how much trouble he'd get into for smacking him with a laptop.

"Rude," the Devil huffed, and Dan just snorted. "It's not my first stress headache, thank you. Probably my third. Fourth, at least."

"Wow," Dan deadpanned, keeping his eyes fixed on the road. "Well, I guess that's better." Lucifer just chuckled and turned back to the laptop, letting out a sigh as he went back to reading. Dan went silent for a while, too, driving in silence. "So, I heard you'll be leaving in a month."

Lucifer paused, glancing over at him, then back down at the laptop. "That's the apparent plan, yes."

"I also heard that you don't want to," Dan continued, his gaze not moving from the road. Lucifer hummed, but he didn't say anything else. He'd had enough of the sob-story moments, and he was done trying to fight it. He couldn't just say _no_ to Michael, and there was no use even trying to convince him or their Father at this point. Lucifer couldn't change it, so he needed to accept it.

And, by "accept it" he meant "ignore it until I can't anymore". Which he was _really_ good at doing, so he shouldn't have too much of an issue with that.

"Alright, s'cool, we don't gotta talk. Just, thought I should remind you that you're a grown man, dude, nobody can force you into anything you don't want, y'know?"

"It isn't that simple, Daniel," Lucifer huffed, shaking his head and looking ahead. "Can we just focus on the case, please and thank you?"

Dan finally glanced at him, but his gaze returned to the road almost immediately, giving a one-shouldered shrug to the Devil. "Alright."

The rest of the ride was in silence. Lucifer focused on the laptop, for once not using it to look at porn or dating sites, and actually doing his work _like a good little… Devil._ His grip on it tightened slightly as he thought the words, unable to help but think back to Michael. But, clearing his throat, he redirected his attention to what he was working on. And, apparently Liorah had a Tumblr blog, which he was currently scrolling through, grimacing at most of the posts. "She complained about her sister a lot, I know that."

"You still think Zoe did it?" Dan checked, tilting his head and staring at Lucifer curiously. Lucifer sighed, casting him a glance before looking back down at the laptop.

"I _know_ Zoe did it, Daniel, I'm simply trying to collect the evidence to prove such," he responded, narrowing his eyes at the laptop. "Liorah apparently wasn't very kind to dear old little sister, it was only a matter of time before she snapped and retaliated. Wish I had the luxury of being able to do that," he added the last part a little quietly, and it Dan heard, he didn't comment, thank… _Well, not Dad._

"Well, it's an interesting theory," Dan sighed. "So we might as well check it out."

"Indeed," Lucifer hummed, tapping his fingers against the laptop. "Did anybody bother to check Zoe's room?"

"We skimmed it, yeah. I mean, the body and murder weapon were found in Liorah's room, so that was the part of the house we were more focused on," Dan admitted, frowning a little now. "We did find some kind of journal in Zoe's room, but the pages were blank."

" _All_ the pages?" Lucifer checked, a little confused now.

"All the pages."

"Why on Earth would Zoe have a blank journal? I know girls like diaries and all, but the whole point of them is to write down their dirty little secrets and such," Lucifer mumbled, honestly growing kind of frustrated now. "Like, perhaps, plotting your possibly emotionally and physically abusive sibling's death."

Dan was silent for a moment, thinking about that. "Do _you_ have a diary?"

Lucifer blinked, glancing at him. "Do I look like a girl to you, Daniel?"

"Is that something you really want me to answer?"

"Oh my Dad," Lucifer sighed, shutting the laptop and rubbing his hand across his mouth. He fixed Dan with the most stern look he could muster at the moment. "Daniel, please, I am trying very hard to focus on this case. It's no time for joking around."

Dan paused at that, parking the car outside a rather large, white and black house and turning in his seat to face him. "Did _you seriously_ just say that to _me_?" He asked incredulously. " _You_? Are you sick or something?"

Lucifer rolled his eyes, pushing his door open and getting out of the car. He put the laptop in the seat and shut the door, turning and glancing up at the house with narrowed eyes. "Very funny, Detective Douche."

"I thought so," Daniel responded, getting out and shutting his door. He focused on the black and white house for a moment, then looked back at Lucifer. "So, thorough search of Zoe's room?"

"I'll look into that, yes," Lucifer muttered, already heading off. "You skim over Liorah's room, see if there's anything you boneheads must have missed before."

"All work and no play," Dan huffed, falling into step with him easily. "I don't know whether I like this new Lucifer or not."

Lucifer snorted, rolling his eyes and looking down as he rubbed his arm. "At least this "new Lucifer" gets things done..."


	12. Chapter 12

Michael was quietly pacing around the lounge, a half-unwrapped candy cane in his hand. He lifted it up to smell it on occasion, but he didn't move to eat it just yet. Of course, he knew what it was, and that it was edible, but he'd never eaten one before and he wasn't sure he wanted to. He stared down at it, flicking it back and forth curiously as he waited for Zoe to wake up so he could question her.

For some reason, his mind kept flashing back to Ella. To the hug - And the weird feeling that it had given him. Maybe it was just a normal reaction to hugs? Michael honestly wouldn't know. The archangel frowned, pausing for a moment and turning around, continuing to pace.

"When you see my face, hope it gives you Hell, hope it gives you Hell," he mumbled, humming a song he'd heard on the radio - A song that, honestly enough, reminded him of Lucifer. It was probably just the "Hell" part of it, though - Anything related to Hell made him think of his younger brother. He sighed, glancing toward Zoe, then away again.

He eyed the coffee maker, tilting his head slightly and turning completely to walk over to it, silently pulling the half-full (half-empty?) pot out. He swirled the liquid around for a moment before simply lifting it to his lips and taking a sip from it. He didn't swallow, yet, holding it in his mouth for a good few seconds before swallowing, biting down on his tongue to keep himself from breaking down coughing.

"That's more bitter than Decker," he huffed, chuckling a little to himself and putting the coffee pot down, rubbing the back of his hand over his mouth. The archangel was restless - While he wanted to stay and wait for Zoe to wake up, he also wanted to _go_ , go do something more _interesting._ Like pick on Lucifer. Yeah, couldn't he just go do that?

Michael sighed, lifting his gaze to the ceiling. "I understand wanting me to stick around and watch Sammy, but why order me to work with him?" He mumbled, mostly to himself. He wasn't really questioning his Father, but he was extremely confused as to why he had to be at Lucifer's job, specifically. But, it was what his Father had told him to do, and he would carry out His orders as He wished.

The archangel sighed and ducked his head a little, looking down and watching the necklace around his neck swing back and forth. A smile tugged at his lips, amber eyes tracking the movements with ease before he reached up and clasped a hand around the cross, stopping it from swinging.

This was his chance to prove himself to his Father, why pass up an opportunity like that? Michael could never understand how Lucifer so blatantly ignored God's orders, how he _rebelled_ against him. The archangel, at least, a part of him, was couldn't help but wonder if it was him that pushed his younger brother to do what he did. Michael's smile faltered, turning into a frown as he stared down, running his thumb over the cross absently and closing his eyes. Centuries of teasing and taunting and, Hell - _Bullying_ his younger brother, Michael wouldn't be at all surprised if everything he'd done to Lucifer had assisted in pushing him so far over the edge.

Michael grimaced, glancing away from the cross to stare at the coffee pot, completely silent now. He hadn't wanted it to go as far as it did - He hadn't wanted his brother to full-on rebel. He'd just wanted Lucifer to act out enough for God to see he wasn't the perfect little son He'd chosen as His favorite. Well, Lucifer had definitely done that… But even now, _Amenadiel_ of all angels was God's favorite. Or, at least, that's what He said. Michael still had a feeling He favored Lucifer - And wanting him back in Heaven? Michael hated the idea with a passion, but he wasn't willing to stand up and disagree with his Father.

Michael knew his Father had only sent him because he was the only one who intimidated Lucifer enough to get him to agree to come back to Heaven. But he also knew this could be his chance to prove himself.

 _I'm better than them,_ the archangel thought, staring down at the cross once more. _I won't get attached to humans, and I won't disobey Him… So why am I still not…_ He shook his head, not allowing himself to finish the thought. He took a deep breath and straightened up, turning back to check on Zoe, who was still asleep.

Michael sighed, staring for a moment. He let go of the cross, letting it swing back into place and shoving his hands in his pockets, turning his gaze away once more. He stared out the open door, watching people pass by silently. Humans. Humans that, he stressed, he was not going to get attached to. There was nothing wrong with them, of course, but humans and angels couldn't mix. Lucifer was playing a dangerous game as it was, and Amenadiel had been for the longest time. Though, seeing as he wasn't an angel anymore…

Michael sighed, about to turn back to the coffee, but he paused when Zoe started to stir. The archangel went still, amber gaze flickering back to the girl for a second. "Good morning," he mumbled, turning around and picking up the coffee pot again.

"Detective Saint?" Zoe mumbled tiredly, exhaustion slurring her words. Michael hummed, staring at the pot for a moment before reluctantly grabbing a cup, knowing it would look weird to the human if he continued drinking it straight from the pot. "Good morning… Do you need something?"

"I just had a question," Michael responded, filling the cup halfway and taking a sip, putting the candy cane down. "Why'd you kill your sister?" He spoke quietly and calmly, taking another sip of the coffee and turning around as he swallowed.

Zoe's face had paled considerably, and her eyes were wide as she stared up at Michael. She looked absolutely petrified, as if she'd just seen a ghost.

Michael felt a twinge of sympathy, but his expression didn't change. Finally, Zoe just whimpered and shook her head, tears flooding her eyes. "I- I just wanted it to stop, I just wanted her to stop!"

Michael ran his tongue over his lips, glancing toward the open door uncertainly before turning his gaze back to Zoe. Great, she was crying, and Michael didn't do well with tears. And the sadness blazing from the girl made him feel sick. "Ah…" The archangel grimaced. "Don't, uh… Tears… Um…"

 _Dad help me, I suck at this,_ he huffed, setting the cup down and walking over to sit on the couch beside her. "Just try and relax."

Zoe just sobbed, shaking her head and rubbing her tears away. "I didn't mean to," she insisted, her voice shaking. "I just wanted her to stop."

"And Ashton?" Michael asked carefully, eyebrows pinching together.

"L- Liorah's boyfriend," Zoe choked out, sucking in a sharp breath. "He was- He was just as bad as h- her, I- I just-" She stopped, looking up at him. "Am- Am I going to go to jail?"

Michael hesitated, meeting her gaze quietly. Then, sighing, he lifted his gaze to the ceiling. Instead of responding, his eyes sparked up, flames flickering through his pupils as he turned back to Zoe, holding her gaze. Almost instantly, Zoe started to relax, tears drying as she blinked at the archangel. "Yes."

Zoe's lower lip trembled, but she just nodded, looking down. Michael sighed, running his fingers through his hair and offering her a small, comforting smile. "It'll be a lot better if you just turn yourself in," he said quietly. "And, Zoe?"

Zoe frowned, tilting her head and meeting his gaze.

"Ask for forgiveness."

"From…" Zoe blinked, shaking her head in confusion. "Forgiveness from who…?"

"God," Michael told her simply, standing up and reaching a hand out to help her up. "Confess your sins and ask for forgiveness." _You don't deserve to go to Hell._

Zoe stared at his hand for a moment before nodding shakily and reaching out, grasping his hand quietly and allowing the angel to pull her to stand. "Confess my sins and ask for forgiveness," she breathed, closing her eyes for a moment.

"You'll be just fine," Michael promised, letting her hand go to pat her shoulder, squeezing gently before leading her out of the lounge. "I promise."


	13. Chapter 13

"When you walk my way, hope it gives you Hell, hope it gives you Hell," Lucifer hummed, sighing as he plucked random little items one by one out of Zoe's nightstand drawer, frowning. A few books, which he flipped through thoroughly to see if she'd possibly written anything down. Nothing. Lucifer also noticed that despite the house looking expensive and literally every other room being filled with a bunch of useless but also expensive looking things, Zoe's room was almost completely empty. She had a dresser for clothes and a bed and a nightstand, and even the room, compared to the rest of the house, looked more like a broom closet than anything. It vaguely reminded Lucifer of Harry Potter's bedroom underneath the stairs…

But he had absolutely nothing that would prove Zoe was guilty for murder, and to be completely honest, he wasn't sure he wanted to. If Liorah really was the abusive bitch Lucifer was certain she was, then she'd probably had this coming for a while. Why should Zoe get punished for finally being brave enough to get revenge?

Lucifer shook his head and rubbed his forehead, sitting back and burying his face into his hands. His head was starting to hurt worse, and his arm wasn't helping matters, and he was starting to get dizzy. He had drank quite a lot the night before, so he wouldn't be surprised if he was hungover now…

Great, he was hungover, and incredibly frustrated because this wasn't helping him solve this case at all. He didn't know why he was so invested in this particular case, anyway, but he was done questioning it. He just wanted to get it done and over with and he wanted to stop _hurting_ so he could actually figure this out. The Devil huffed out a sigh and pushed himself up, flinching slightly and turned to leave the room.

"Wonder what painkillers would do," he mumbled, about to leave, but he paused when he saw something out of the corner of his eye; The faint glint of silver reflecting the light of the room had caught his attention, just barely hidden under the floorboard. He turned without hesitation, walking over and kneeling down. His fingers found the cracks in the floorboard effortlessly, lifting it up easily with one finger and reaching in to grab whatever had been shoved underneath.

He let the floorboard fall back into place and sat back. It was a small, leather pouch, decorated with white and black polka dots. It was half open, so he opened it completely, eyebrows raising slightly in surprise. It seemed to be a manicure set, with a variety of fingernail cleaning utensils inside. But there was one empty slot where there was obviously supposed to be something tucked inside.

"Fingernail clippers…" Lucifer mumbled, biting his lip and starting to stand. Unfortunately, his arm bumped against the wall, causing him to immediately drop the pouch and double over again, cursing under his breath and rubbing his arm. He took a second to recover, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly before kneeling down to pick the pouch up again, only to realize something else had fallen out - A glove, pink and satin-looking, and stained with blood.

"Zoe…" Lucifer groaned, pressing the back of his hand over his mouth and going still for a moment. Eventually, he picked up the glove and tucked it back into the pouch, turning and leaving the room. "Daniel, we need to go."

"You got something?" Dan poked his head out of the room he was in, and paused when he saw what Lucifer was holding. He tilted his head, immediately leaving the room completely to walk over to the Devil, who handed him the pouch wordlessly. After opening and inspecting it carefully, he sighed and nodded. "Dammit… Alright, let's go back and have Ella test for fingerprints," he mumbled.

"Alright," Lucifer sighed, rubbing his forehead again.

"Good work, man," Dan added, turning and heading off. Lucifer followed, shutting the front door behind them and heading for the car. He gave an amused smile despite himself at the praise, shrugging in response and opening the door, picking the laptop up and getting inside. He turned his head slightly as Dan got in, then turned back to look out the window, humming. "Now you can stop being a workaholic and go back to normal."

Lucifer actually snorted at that, unintentionally, and laughed a little as he shook his head, burying his face into his hands. He pressed his fingers into the corners of his eye-sockets, taking a deep breath and holding it and going completely still for a moment before raising his head again. "Daniel, don't you get it? Nothing is going to be _back to normal_. My brother is going to torment me the whole month, I'm not allowed to be _myself_ around him, and now-" He cut off, and shook his head desperately, burying his face back into his hands. "Now I have to go " _home"_. Because _Dad says_ and- Everyone else be damned, Pops always gets exactly what he wants," he hissed, pressing one hand over his mouth.

Dan didn't say anything, not a single word. And Lucifer only looked up when the car turned on, raising an eyebrow at the satisfied look on the detective's face. "What?"

"What?" Dan echoed, tilting his head toward him and keeping his gaze on the road. "Come on, man, I know what it looks like when someone's repressing crap like that. If you don't let it out on occasion, you're gonna spontaneously combust or something."

Lucifer squinted, staring at him silently for a moment before looking out the window again, shaking his head. "Mm." Was all he replied with, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. He welcomed the darkness easily, letting himself sink into it, letting it tug him under. It made the pain in his head start to ebb away, slowly but surely - And soon enough the rest of his wounds stopped aching so badly. His arm felt somewhat numb - Which was a nice change from the pain, so he wasn't complaining.

He hadn't meant to, and he didn't realize he was drifting off, but he was asleep before they even reached the station.

* * *

He was still in the car when he woke up, but he noticed three things; One, the car was no longer moving. Two, Dan was no longer in the driver's seat, the only sound he could hear was his own breathing. And three, he felt worse than he had before he'd fallen asleep. It took him a moment to be able to move, groaning and rolling his head to the side. When he finally managed to force his eyes open, it did absolutely nothing for him. His vision was blurry, as if he was trying to see through water.

It also, for a second, made him panic.

"Oh, son of a bitch," the Devil groaned, closing his eyes again for a second before just blinking rapidly, trying to clear his vision. He felt sick - Nauseated, like he was going to throw up at any second. And dizzy, and his head _hurt_. Lucifer huffed and opened his eyes again - This time, luckily enough, he could _see_.

The first thing he did was rush to get out of the car, leaning back against it and shutting the door with a groan, rubbing his eyes and trying to focus. With each _breath_ , he felt sick, for Dad's sake… Lucifer cleared his throat and forced his eyes open once more, looking around.

 _Oh. Police station._ That helped him relax a little bit. He started forward, flinching a little as the sudden movement made the dizziness and nausea worse, and continued on to head inside. He quietly brushed past a few other cops on his way in, rubbing a hand over his mouth and looking around for Dan, or Chloe, or both.

Luckily, he saw Chloe first. Then Dan, then Michael - Then Ella. They were all sitting together at Chloe's desk, each holding a glass in their hand. Michael was staring at his, Chloe was taking slow sips, and Ella and Dan were both just downing theirs. Lucifer blinked, shaking his head and forcing himself to straighten up as he finally managed to start walking again, approaching them with his usual cocky smirk. "Am I late for the party?"

But his voice sounded weak to his own ears, higher pitched than usual and lacking enthusiasm, instead displaying his clear frustration and uneasiness as to how he felt right then.

"Just in time," Ella chirped, offering him a bright smile. Lucifer forced a weak smile back, avoiding Michael's gaze and instead looking toward Chloe, then Dan, pausing.

"Where's Zoe?"

Dan stayed quiet for a moment, downing the rest of what was in his glass before speaking. "Jail," he responded simply. Lucifer frowned, staring at him for a while before looking away again. His expression brightened, however, when Ella handed him a glass of his own. He hummed his approval and reached out to take it.

Dan gave him a disapproving stare, and Chloe let out a low sound of disagreement in the back of her throat, reaching out and taking the glass before Lucifer could. "I don't think you should, Lucifer."

"Wh-" Lucifer stared, surprised and dismayed as Chloe took the glass. "Why not?"

"Because, you look dead on your feet and anyone can tell you've got a hangover from Hell," Chloe scolded, standing up and grabbing his shoulder to tug him toward the chair. And Lucifer was so amused by the irony of that statement that he didn't even flinch from the pain as soon as she made contact.

Though, hearing Michael chuckle from that took all the amusement out of it. He resisted the urge to shoot a glare at his brother, deciding to root his gaze onto the glass of alcohol he'd been denied before turning his most pleading look to Chloe, his lower lip poking out as he widened his eyes. "Please, Detective? I'm oh so thirsty..."

"You can have water." Chloe crossed her arms, staring at him stubbornly. Lucifer huffed and let his head fall back with a muffled groan, rubbing a hand over his face wordlessly.

"Fine…"

"So, case solved," Ella spoke up, sounding amused. "I was gonna suggest we all go to a bar, but apparently Lucifer's not allowed."

"I am the Devil, I am allowed to drink," Lucifer protested, turning his head to squint at her. "Nobody can control that."

"Chloe apparently does," Ella replied, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Oh, please, the Detective does not-" Lucifer cut off as he rolled his head back around to look up at Chloe, who had fixed him with the firmest glare she could muster. Which, honestly, put even Maze's death glare to shame. The Devil opened and closed his mouth, silent for the longest time before exhaling and sinking back into the chair. "She's scary, that's different."

At this, almost everyone started laughing, besides Chloe, who still had her pokerface up and was staring Lucifer right in the eyes.

"Alright, I get it," Lucifer whined, pouting again. "Stop staring at me like that, you're making my head hurt worse…" He smiled slightly when Chloe finally laughed, and turned away from him to get something. Lucifer gazed at her silently for a second before turning his head and finally looking at Michael, who had now reached a hand into the glass and was poking the liquid inside curiously. "It's alcohol, brother, it's not going to bite you."

"It tastes weird," Michael retorted, glancing up and meeting Lucifer's gaze. The Devil blinked, watching his amber eyes seem to flare up, and he quickly remembered his brother's little rules from before.

"Ah…" Lucifer cleared his throat and looked away again, just in time as Chloe held out two pills. Lucifer stared for the longest time before finally reaching out to take them, popping both into his mouth and swallowing effortlessly. He wasn't sure what they would do for his headache - Hello, Devil - But then again, Chloe was there, and she made him vulnerable, so there was a good possibility that they could help.

"C'mon, Mikey, here…"

Lucifer tilted his head and looked over, distracted. Ella had taken Michael's glass from him and had lifted it up to Michael's lips, herself. The archangel looked incredibly taken aback by this, but he obeyed, allowing Ella to pour the alcohol into his mouth. Almost immediately after he swallowed, his poor big brother broke down coughing and gasping. Ella just bit back a snicker and patted Michael's back comfortingly.

"That is _disgusting_ ," Michael exclaimed once he finally managed to stop coughing, looking appalled as he stared up at Ella. "How do you _drink_ that?!"

Ella giggled, rolling her eyes. "Oh, don't be so dramatic, Mike," she told him, handing him the glass back. "It's bad the first time, but you get used to the taste. You feeling buzzed yet?" She questioned, smirking.

"I'm feeling like I want to cut my own tongue off," Michael complained, now looking down at the glass with obvious distrust. Lucifer blinked, letting his gaze flicker between them wordlessly for a few moments before looking away, uncertain. After a moment, though, he cleared his throat and looked up at Chloe, waving a hand to catch her attention.

"Are we still having our sleepover?"

Chloe looked down at him, then looked back toward Michael. "Yeah."

"'Kay. I gotta tell… Gotta tell Amenadiel, so he doesn't worry," Lucifer sighed, once more pressing his fingers into the corners of his eye sockets, shaking his head. "I'll call him, or… Yeah."

"Screw it, I'm taking Michael to a bar," Ella decided, standing up and brushing herself off. Lucifer looked over just in time to see her grabbing Michael's wrist, pulling him up with her. "Let's go, angel boy."

"Uh, wait, what?" Michael managed to spit the words out, eyes widening as Ella tugged on his arm, pulling him along easily. "You're taking me to a house of intoxicants?"

"Yes, indeed!"

Lucifer hummed, watching curiously as his brother was dragged off. He wanted to say something - Hell, he wanted to grab Ella and put her as far from Michael as possible. He didn't trust his brother, and he most certainly did not trust him with one of his best friends. The Devil grimaced, narrowing his eyes after them.

His attention was quickly redirected when Chloe tugged on his arm - Luckily, his good arm this time - And he turned his head to look up at her. "Hm?"

"You're riding with me," Chloe started. "Leaving in five minutes, fair warning." With that she turned and walked off. Lucifer tilted his head, watching her go, before suddenly speaking up.

"Uh- Detective, wait," he piped up quickly, and Chloe turned back to him. "Could… Amenadiel come, as well?" He glanced back for a second, after Michael and Ella, before looking back up at Chloe. "I'd rather him not…"

"Right, right, of course," Chloe told him, tilting her head. "Of course, Lucifer. Will he need us to pick him up?"

"Oh, probably," Lucifer chuckled tiredly, relaxing once more against the chair and pulling his phone out, squinting down at it for a moment. "Thank you, Detective."

"Anytime, Lucifer," Chloe responded simply, turning and continuing on his way. Lucifer just sighed and looked up, his gaze fixing on the glass Chloe had left abandoned on the desk. And, after a moment of consideration, he leaned forward and plucked it up, downing it in one gulp.

"Ohhhh," he jumped when Dan spoke, having forgotten he was there. "Chloe's gonna be maaaaaaad."

Lucifer raised his eyebrows, setting the now empty glass down and sliding it toward him. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her, Detective Douche."


	14. Chapter 14

"So Mazikeen's bounty hunting… Where?"

"Vegas," Chloe responded, keeping her gaze fixed on the road. Lucifer hummed in acknowledgement, letting out a small chuckle despite himself and looking out the window. Well, that was good, at least.

"Well, good, then. Hell's best torturer and Heaven's best torturer should stay as far apart as possible." Michael and Maze had never met, and the Devil would prefer it to stay that way. Because as he'd said, Maze was Hell's best torturer and Michael was Heaven's. And Lucifer didn't even want to imagine what they could do to someone _together_.

"Luci."

"Yes, brother?" Lucifer asked innocently, letting his head fall back against the headrest and smirking a little to himself. The moment Amenadiel had had to get in the backseat, he'd been in a pretty sour mood. After his "I'm older than you"'s failed to get Lucifer to relent, he'd given in and climbed in the back.

He was caught pretty off guard when Amenadiel kicked the back of his seat. You'd expect the action to hurt, considering he was bruised and cut all over and his back hurt anyhow, but it actually, truly didn't. "Are you trying to give me a massage?" He asked curiously, turning his head to glance back at his brother.

Amenadiel glared at him, then glanced at Chloe, almost pointedly. Lucifer blinked, following his gaze, and made a small "o" shape with his mouth as he slumped back in the seat, shrugging and rubbing at his arm absently.

"Right…" Was all Chloe said, letting out a soft sigh and shaking her head. Amenadiel turned his glare back to Lucifer, who shrugged and just turned to look out his window again, humming.

"Amenadiel," the Devil said suddenly, his tone changing slightly, raising slightly in pitch curiously. Amenadiel sighed.

"Yes, Luci?"

"Miss Lopez took our dear brother Michael to a _bar_."

Amenadiel coughed, letting out a few bewildered laughs as he leaned forward a little. Lucifer smirked, turning his head to glance back at him. " _Michael's_ going to a bar?" He asked slowly. "Willingly?"

"Indeed," Lucifer responded almost gleefully, the smirk on his face widening. "I'm going to take a guess and say Michael will have one _Hell_ of a hangover by tomorrow, wouldn't he? I'm betting he's a lightweight, as well."

"It should certainly be interesting," Amenadiel replied, amused as he sat back again. "He's never drank a day in his life."

"Oh, the headache he'll get…" Lucifer sighed, almost wistfully as he looked back out the window. "What I wouldn't give to see how much he'll suffer."

"It does seem like a proper punishment," Amenadiel agreed, glancing out the windshield. Lucifer laughed and looked down, once more rubbing his arm before casting Chloe a glance. She had the smallest of smiles on her face now, obviously amused at the brothers' conversation, but she didn't say a word. Lucifer fell silent then, smiling a little now as he glanced out the window and sank back with a sigh.

And Amenadiel was silent for a while, too, until; "I bet he'll be missing work tomorrow too."

Lucifer hadn't thought of that. His expression lit up, like a kid's on Christmas morning, as he turned his head to glance back at his oldest brother. "Oh, I hope so," he breathed, eyes sparkling now as he glanced ahead. "Just a bit of freedom for one day without him constantly on my back."

"Maybe you should have Miss Lopez distract him with alcohol every night," Amenadiel suggested, seeming amused now. "That should keep him out of the way."

Lucifer chuckled, letting his head fall back and allowing his eyes to slip shut. "That would be _wonderful_ ," he mused. "Maybe he'll be so sick from the hangover it'll scare him back to H- home," he corrected himself quickly when Amenadiel kicked the back of his seat, rolling his eyes toward the window.

"Mhm," Amenadiel hummed and nodded, and Lucifer cleared his throat, staring out. It was almost dark out; The Devil tilted his head and looked up, blinking as he let his gaze trail across the sky. It was turning orange, though the clouds were tinted in purple.

"Guys. Look," he whispered, tilting his head. Amenadiel leaned forward to peer at the sky through the windshield, letting out a small hum. Chloe glanced up, taking her eyes off the road for a second and smiling faintly.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Lucifer murmured, keeping his gaze fixed on the sky even after Chloe turned back to the road, and Amenadiel sat back. "LA certainly is beautiful."

* * *

Lucifer was half asleep by the time they got to Chloe's house, but he was forcing himself to stay conscious for fear of how horrible he'd feel when he woke up again. After all, considering the dizziness and nausea and vision loss… Yeah, he didn't want to sleep. The Devil grimaced, blinking as the car pulled to a stop.

"'Tective," he mumbled, shaking his head and pushing himself up a little as Chloe turned the car off and nodded to him. He looked up through the windshield for a second, then sighed and sank back again.

"We're here," Chloe told him, sounding faintly amused. "Get inside so you can sleep on the couch."

"I don't want to sleep," Lucifer protested, pausing and glancing back at Amenadiel... Who _had_ fallen asleep, and was now snoring, albeit quietly. The Devil snorted, staring at his oldest brother quietly for a moment before turning his gaze away and pushing the door open, pulling himself out of the car with a grunt. No, he wasn't sleeping. But he also wasn't carrying his brother inside, so he had to wake Amenadiel up...

When Chloe started to open the door to wake him up, Lucifer put a hand up to stop her and blinked a few times, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness. Then, turning, he shut his door and opened Amenadiel's, reaching in and simply plucking his oldest brother's forehead.

Amenadiel jerked awake immediately, grabbing his wrist and yanking him forward out of instinct - His hand was over Lucifer's throat before the Devil could react, but he was released when Amenadiel realized what had just happened. "Oh."

"Mm," Lucifer snorted, rolling his eyes with a sigh. "Good morning… Night? To you, too, big brother."

Amenadiel just huffed and pushed him away, and Lucifer stepped back to let him out. His oldest brother stretched as Lucifer leaned around him to shut the door, rubbing his neck slightly with a frown. Amenadiel eyed him quietly for a moment, letting out a soft sigh as he reached out. Lucifer flinched despite himself, but it was more out of surprise than anything as Amenadiel lifted his chin up and tugged his shirt collar down, exposing the bruising and scars around his neck. "Dammit," his oldest brother huffed and glanced away - Chloe had already headed inside, so he turned back to his brother. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, that was entirely Michael, I assure you," Lucifer grunted, pulling away and adjusting his shirt collar again to cover his neck.

"I'm sorry, Luci," Amenadiel muttered, mouth twisting slightly into a grimace as he looked down at his younger brother. "I should have tried to stop him, I-"

"Oh, shut up," Lucifer groaned. "Nobody can control Michael but Dad, and Dad…" He trailed off, looking away for a second. "Well, Dad doesn't care. Now," he cleared his throat and turned away. "You're obviously tired, now, so let's get you settled."

Amenadiel laughed a little from behind him, and Lucifer paused to glance back at him, eyebrows raising faintly. "What?"

"Just wondering when you got so selfless," Amenadiel remarked. "Or, rather, when you started showing it." With that, he brushed past his brother, lightly clapping him on the shoulder as he passed. Lucifer tilted his head and followed after him with a sigh, shoving his hands into his pockets. He braced himself to be attacked with a hug as soon as he entered, and he was both disappointed and confused when it didn't happen.

"Chloe, where's your offspring?" The Devil called, his gaze flickering around as he headed for the living room area and fell back onto the couch beside Amenadiel, who had settled down carefully and ensured he'd only taken up one cushion, Lucifer noted. The Devil relaxed, letting his head fall back with a sigh and closing his eyes.

"She had a sleepover of her own," Chloe called back. Lucifer hummed in acknowledgement, eyes snapping open when Amenadiel suddenly grabbed his arm, tugging his suit jacket off of him. He offered his oldest brother a confused glance, but he didn't do much to struggle. Amenadiel steadily unwrapped the bandages around his arm, revealing the bruised cuts from his elbow to his wrist.

"I'm fine," Lucifer sighed, annoyance flickering through his eyes as he fixed his brother with a pointed stare.

"Just making sure," Amenadiel huffed, starting to wrap his arm back up. "Michael used the dagger, didn't he? Takes a while to heal from that. That and the sword, both of which hurt like Hell and take far too long to heal if it wounds you. I'm honestly surprised you're able to move it, it has to hurt."

Lucifer shrugged, resting his head back and watching through narrowed eyes. "I've got a higher pain tolerance than you'd expect, brother, I can handle a l- l- _Dammit_ ," he snarled, squeezing his eyes shut when, just to prove his point, gave his arm a squeeze. And he barely applied any pressure, yet it still hurt. "You _dick_."

"My apologies." Amenadiel rolled his eyes and dropped his arm, handing his suit jacket back. Lucifer stared at it, silent for a moment before just dropping it in his lap, rubbing his neck and shifting back to lean into the couch. "I'm just saying, Luci, let it heal, okay?"

"Sir, yes, sir," Lucifer hummed sarcastically, rolling his head to the side to smile dryly at his oldest brother. "Believe me, brother, I'm probably the last person who wants this to keep hurting." He moved his bandaged arm slightly, sighing. "But I'll be alright. You're being very overprotective," he commented idly, turning his gaze to the ceiling. "Like you used to be. Before."

"Well, Michael's here. You need the protection." Amenadiel frowned, and went silent for a moment. "And I wish I could offer it. But without my powers..." He lowered his voice, trailing off.

"I'm surprised you're not more taken to the idea of me going home, considering it's all Father's plan."

"It's not the place for you, Luci."

Lucifer glanced at him, gaze lingering for a moment. "Because I'm the Devil?"

Amenadiel sighed, meeting his gaze. "Because I don't want you around Michael any more than you _want_ to be around Michael, much less up there in Heaven where…"

"Where you're not," Lucifer finished for him, eyebrows raising faintly. Amenadiel nodded and sighed, glancing away, and Lucifer frowned, settling back into the couch. "Amenadiel, you don't have to protect me."

"Of course I do. I always have," Amenadiel grumbled. "This shouldn't change now, and he has no right t-" He cut off, looking up, and Lucifer turned his head just in time to see Chloe entering the room, holding two rather large looking blankets and a few pillows, all of which she simply dumped on Amenadiel's lap.

"So, one of you can take the floor and the other can take the couch, you can have a wrestling match over that just be careful not to break anything," the Detective started, raising her eyebrows at Lucifer specifically as she spoke, and the Devil gave her the most offended look he could muster, trading glances with Amenadiel as Chloe continued. "Feel free to watch TV, are either of you hungry?"

Lucifer raised an eyebrow and looked toward Amenadiel. "I could eat."

Amenadiel gave him a pointed stare. "We don't want to ask for any more than we already have," he hinted.

"But she's offering," Lucifer protested. Chloe snorted, causing the brothers' attention to immediately focus on her again as she turned and headed for the kitchen.

"Spaghetti it is."

"Wonderful." Lucifer smiled slightly, rubbing his hand over his face and looking over at his oldest brother, who rolled his eyes at the Devil, shaking his head disapprovingly. "What? She _did_ offer. Plus, you're mortal now. If you don't eat, you'll starve to death," he added, lowering his voice to a dramatic whisper.

Amenadiel considered that for a moment, eyebrows raising as he looked up at the ceiling. "And what's your excuse, then?"

"Well-" Lucifer cut off, thinking. "I'm practically mortal around the Detective, I could probably starve to death around her." He paused, going silent for a moment and looking around. "Have I even eaten today…?"

"Oh, wow," Amenadiel sighed, but he had a concerned frown on his face now. "Are you taking care of yourself, Luci?"

"Well, I've been a bit busy with the case," Lucifer eventually decided, shaking his head. "And Michael. Not a big deal," he sighed, glancing toward the kitchen. "Not a big deal at all."


	15. Chapter 15

"Why don't we just drive?"

Michael was taking note of everything he could see - People walking down the streets as the night fell, lights from stores, and at one point he was incredibly disturbed by a headless mannequin in one of the windows that Ella had steadily guided him by, comforting him by telling him it wasn't an actual person. He did see someone holding a weirdly shaped stick with strings that Ella had explained was a "guitar", and the sounds coming from it reminded him of the music on the radio. And he liked music, so…

"No fun, man. You're new, you gotta see the streets of LA, you gotta _experience it_ ," Ella insisted, her arm hooked around Michael's now as they walked. Michael blinked, but sighed and allowed himself to be led along. "Besides, no point driving, y'know? We're going to a bar, and driving drunk is a _bad_ idea." She paused, looking up at him. "Hey, where do you live, anyway?"

"H…" Michael trailed off, realizing she meant, where did he live in LA. "Oh, I don't - I haven't quite figured that out yet," he admitted, frowning slightly. He had considered just staying at Lux for the month - Lucifer obviously couldn't do anything to stop him from doing so. The archangel clicked his teeth together, considering, and Ella stared at him in confusion for a moment before shaking her head.

"Okay, well - You can stay with me until you figure it out," she offered, flashing him a bright grin. "I've got an empty room I've just been keeping boxes in, but I can move 'em out and get the spare bed out of the attic."

"You're very kind," Michael sighed, a smile appearing on his face as he gazed down at her. "Really, but you don't have to do that."

"Mm… I insist. How 'bout that?" Ella replied, eyes sparkling mischievously. "I want to, seriously, Mikey."

"Well, as long as you're insisting." Michael rolled his eyes playfully at the human, who lightly punched his arm before continuing to drag him along, smiling a little brighter now. Michael sighed, keeping his gaze on her for a moment before turning away and looking around, never breaking stride beside Ella. "We're not going to be drinking _too_ much, right?"

"Doubt your virgin liver could handle that," Ella joked. "No, we're just gonna get some of the good stuff. Not all alcohol tastes like skunk spray."

Michael thought about that for a moment, shaking his head. Well, his Father hadn't said he couldn't enjoy himself, and to be honest, he was having a lot of fun with Ella at the moment. She was very sweet, and funny - And so _positive._ He could definitely see why Azrael liked her so much. And he could see exactly what his sister had told him about Ella before - She was just so happy, so kind and honest and _beautiful_ …

Michael's heart jumped a little, throat closing up as he thought the last word, and an uneasy expression crossed his face for a second. Well, Azrael hadn't exactly said _beautiful_ , but… Ella _was_. It wasn't a lie. The archangel cleared his throat, wondering why the Hell it had suddenly gotten hot, and shoved his free hand in his pocket, his other arm still being held hostage by the girl beside him.

And yet, he told himself, he wasn't going to get attached. He _wasn't_ going to get _attached_. He'd just have to leave in a month anyway and… Was it fair to Ella for _her_ to get attached when he just had to leave again? The archangel huffed and shook his head, biting his tongue and looking up, toward the darkening sky. It was just like him to overthink these things. And his Father had sent him to Earth with an order, to bring Lucifer back in a month, and he'd gotten sidetracked by a human.

 _Then again, what did He expect me to do in a month?_ Michael wondered, frowning. _He did tell me to stick around and work with Sammy, so…_

Why was he questioning this… The archangel shook his head and looked down at Ella, who was skipping along happily, a smile on her face. And just like that, Michael had completely forgotten what he was worrying about in the first place. He smiled a little bit to himself, forcing his gaze away and looking ahead with a sigh. He heard that sound again - The sound a guitar made, the sound of _music_ , and this time, Ella stopped, pulling them both to a halt with wide eyes.

 _You know, I'd fall apart without you  
_ _I don't know how you do what you do  
_ ' _Cause everything that don't make sense about me  
_ _It makes sense when I'm with you…_

"I love this song," Ella breathed, turning to look up at Michael, then turning to look around. Michael stared at her in confusion, then turned away to look around as well. They saw him at the same time, some guy standing on the sidewalk, leaning back against a building with the guitar in his hand. And the more Michael stared, the more he realized _that guy wasn't there before at all._

 _Like everything that's green, girl, I need you  
_ _But it's more than one and one makes two  
_ _But put aside the math and the logic of it  
_ _You gotta know you're wanted, too_

"What's he doing?" Michael whispered, daring to tear Ella's attention away from the song. But she didn't seem to mind, her gaze fixed on the man.

"Singing," she murmured back, the smile on her face seeming to widen. Michael cast her a confused glance, shifting his weight to one side and tilting his head faintly as he listened.

' _Cause I wanna wrap you up  
_ _Wanna kiss your lips, I  
_ _Wanna make you feel wanted…_

 _I wanna call you mine  
_ _Wanna hold your hand, forever  
_ _And never let you forget it  
_ _Girl, I… I wanna make you feel wanted…_

"Isn't it beautiful?" Ella giggled, turning to look up at Michael. The archangel glanced at her, unable to help a small smile back despite himself as he raised his gaze back to the man, then focused his attention on Ella again.

"Definitely beautiful," he replied quietly, reaching out and brushing the girl's hair from her face. Ella smiled slightly, squeezing his arm lightly and glancing back at the man as he continued to sing. Michael was honestly content to just stand there and listen to the music with her, but after a few moments, she turned back and continued to tug him along down the street.

"Now, we were going somewhere?"

"To a house of intoxicants," Michael mused, glancing back at the man curiously as he continued to sing and play the guitar. He honestly didn't remember the guy being there before, but he could have just as easily overlooked him while he was lost in his thoughts…

The archangel tilted his head, and sighed, turning back to Ella and offering her a small smile. She smiled back just as easily, eyes sparkling joyously, and Michael chuckled, looking down as she released his arm to instead grab his hand, locking their hands together and spinning to face him. Michael stopped, and she grabbed his other hand in her free one before giving a small tug and starting to walk backwards. "Then, let's go, angel boy."

Michael blinked a few times, glancing behind her carefully to ensure she didn't bump into anything, but he smiled all the same. "Alright."

As they continued on, he could still hear the music.

 _You're more than everything I need  
_ _You're all I ever wanted  
_ _All I ever wanted…_

* * *

When they reached the bar, Ella finally and reluctantly let go of one of Michael's hands to turn and open the door, smiling slightly. "This is one of the fancy bars. No bar-fights. Figured I'd take you somewhere calm for your first time," she told him, leading him inside. It was a little brighter than it was outside, but the place was still dim. He heard music playing, though the sound of people around them talking kind of drowned it out, some of them laughing and chatting and drinking the weird-smelling and _bad_ tasting liquid.

"Heyyyy, bartender~" Ella sang, skipping over to the counter, and Michael followed quickly. It looked like the area in Lucifer's penthouse, shelves of alcohol behind the counter and a guy walking back and forth, serving drinks. He moved over to Ella and Michael when they approached, looking them up and down.

"What can I get you?" He prompted, his gaze lingering on Michael for a moment before he turned back to Ella.

"Two glasses of red wine," Ella responded, offering her heart-warming smile at the bartender. Michael didn't know why, but seeing her smile at him like that kind of hurt his chest. The archangel frowned, looking away. "Please."

"Right up." The bartender turned and walked off, grabbing something off the shelf as he did. Michael frowned, watching him go before looking at Ella.

"And why would we trust…" He narrowed his eyes, glancing after the man. "A stranger we don't know to pour our drinks for us?"

"Trust me, he gets paid a lot for this, he's not gonna do anything to ruin that," Ella promised, turning to him and offering the archangel that sweet smile. Michael's lips twitched slightly into a small smile back, shifting slightly to lean against the counter. "So, whattya think of the place?" Ella turned her head, glancing around. "Nice, isn't it?"

"It's not as horrible as I expected," Michael admitted, giving her an amused smile.

"I wouldn't take you anywhere horrible," Ella laughed, looking up when two wine glasses were set in front of them, and the bartender poured red liquid into both cups. "Thanks, dude."

"Mhm," the bartender sighed, walking away to fill up another person's shot. Ella chuckled, picking up one of the glasses and turning to Michael, handing it over to him. The archangel took it silently, a wary look crossing his face as he stared down at it, then up at Ella, raising his eyebrows questioningly.

"Go on," Ella encouraged, chuckling a little. "I think you'll like this one."

"Mm…" Michael sighed, then leaned back and reluctantly put the glass to his lips, tilting it back and taking a small sip. It was, admittedly, a lot better than the bitter, strong drink he'd previously had, but it still had a certain edge to it that wasn't quite favorable. He grimaced, running his tongue across his lips and looking up into Ella's expectant gaze. "Okay, it's not bad," he finally relented. "Still, it's…"

"Weird, yeah, it'll taste weird," Ella finished for him, eyes sparkling with amusement. "I mean, come on, you've _never_ drank before, have you?"

"I've drank coffee and water," Michael replied seriously, eyebrows furrowing. "Does that count?"

"Not quite," Ella snickered, turning and waving the bartender over. "White wine?" She asked sweetly, shooting a glance at Michael and winking at him. "White wine tastes sweeter than red. You'll probably like that one a lot better."

"Maybe," Michael responded, taking another small sip of the red wine and narrowing his eyes down at it. "So the point of this is for me to taste the various types of alcohol?"

"Yep. To see what you like and don't like."

"Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt…" Michael trailed off, eyes narrowing slightly as he shook his head. "Ah, I feel funny."

"That is called a buzz, my friend," Ella grinned, sipping from her own glass and looking up at him. "Welcome to the real world, you've only just scratched the surface. Mikey, I am going to show you how to properly live your life."

Despite himself, Michael offered her a small, amused smile, pausing when another glass was set down in front of them. "I'll hold you to that," he replied, setting the red wine down as Ella handed him the new drink. He stared for a moment before taking a tentative sip, letting out a small hum of approval. There was still a faint edge to it, but Ella was right, it was much sweeter and easier to taste. "I like this one."

"Alright!" Ella slammed her hand down onto the counter, flashing her signature grin at him. "Now, what'd I tell ya? Stick with me, Mike, I'll never steer ya wrong."

"I think I believe you," Michael remarked, giving her a small smile before taking another sip of the white wine.

* * *

When they left, they were both drunk.

Ella managed to call a cab, and she was currently using Michael to support her. The archangel sat absolutely still as the girl leaned into him, wide eyes fixed out the window. That "funny" feeling had intensified tenfold. He felt lightheaded - But he also felt pretty great, like he wanted to laugh until he cried, and he wanted to go back 'cause he was playing darts with a few humans and was actually pretty close to actually managing to hit the dart board… But he was also tired, and Ella seemed tired, which is why they were going back to Ella's in the first place.

"See?" Ella mumbled into his shirt, face buried into the archangel's chest as she spoke to him. "Told'ja this'd be fun."

"Yeah- Yeah, y'did, y'did," Michael sighed, looking down at her and shaking his head vigorously. "Can't believe I did that… Ohhhhh is my Dad gonna be mad at me?" He wondered, turning his head to look out the window. "No, he's so gonna be bad at me, hfff… I've screwed up."

"Relax," Ella groaned, pulling her head back and squinting up at him, before burying her face back into his chest and closing her eyes. "I'm try'na sleep."

Michael squinted right back down at her, but he fell silent for a while, turning to look out the window again. Despite his anxiety as to what his Father would think of him getting drunk in a bar of all places, he honestly did have a pretty good time. A better time than he'd honestly ever had. No more worrying about the angels or his Father or leading Heaven's Armies - Just worrying about not taking a human's head off with a dart by accident and what type of wine to drink next. No stress.

The archangel sighed, closing his eyes. "Thanks for this, Lopez," he mumbled. Ella hummed back quietly in response, already half-asleep at that point, and Michael leaned his head back, rubbing her shoulder wordlessly.

She was asleep by the time they got there, but Michael had to wake her up briefly so she could pay the cab driver since he didn't have any money like… At all. Ella fell back asleep almost immediately after, so Michael ended up carrying her to the house. He stopped at the door, looking it up and down before glancing down at the girl in his arms. There was no way he could wake Ella up a second time, she was exhausted and had been extremely irritated when he had the first time…

The angel cleared his throat and spread his wings out, glancing around carefully before squeezing his eyes shut. When he opened them again, he was inside the house. "There we are," he sighed, looking around for a moment.

A frown tugged at his lips, because where the Hell was he supposed to put her? He hesitated where he stood for a while before eventually heading up the stairs, lightly kicking doors open and adjusting Ella to hold her bridal-style. He eventually found a large room he assumed was hers, shuffling into the room. He turned the light on with just a slight nod of his head, and used his powers to pull the blankets back before settling Ella down in the bed, making sure she was comfortable before moving back.

He was about to pull the blankets back over her when she stirred, grabbing his wrist. "Stay," she mumbled sleepily, her eyes still shut. Michael blinked, but nodded, moving around to get in the bed beside her. She turned and rolled over to curl up against him, her back to his chest, and Michael pulled the blankets over them before hesitantly wrapping one arm around her.

"G'night, Mikey," she breathed, nuzzling her head under his chin. Michael blinked, staring ahead and relaxing slightly. And, after a moment, he ended up wrapping one of his wings around her, careful not to wake her up.

"Goodnight, El," he whispered back, closing his eyes.

He didn't plan on falling asleep. But he did.


	16. Chapter 16

"I don't understand. She's in love with him, and he's in love with her, but she doesn't want to be with him."

"She believes it's unprofessional considering he's her attending, and she's his intern. They work together, so she believes a personal relationship would get one or both of them fired," Lucifer explained to Amenadiel, keeping his gaze fixed on the TV. He didn't react to his brother's bewildered look, nor the snicker from Chloe as he cocked his head at the screen. "I have to admit, however, I'm impressed at her resistance. I would have hit that a while ago. Though. I suppose she already did, but he looks like he'd be great for seconds…"

"... Luci," Amenadiel protested, lightly smacking him on the back of his head. "Inappropriate."

"Inappropriate is kind of what I do, brother," Lucifer mused, reaching out to return the smack. Amenadiel just rolled his eyes, looking up at the TV once more. The three of them had finished eating and were settled over the couch, pillows behind them and blankets over their laps. Lucifer was in the middle, with Chloe and Amenadiel on either side of him. "I mean, am I wrong? Is he not attractive?"

"He definitely is," Chloe started, and Lucifer laughed before fixing his brother with an expectant stare. Amenadiel gazed back in disbelief before glancing at the TV, then back at Lucifer.

"I'm not attracted to men," his oldest brother objected. "I'm not the one to ask here."

"Yes, well, I'm not attracted to shoes, brother, but I can still tell when a pair looks good."

Amenadiel opened and closed his mouth, considering that for a moment, before casting an uncertain glance at the TV. And, after a moment's pause, he rolled his eyes and shook his head with a defeated sigh. "Fine. He's…" He trailed off. "Not… Ugly."

"You totally have the hots for Doctor Sexy."

At that, Amenadiel grabbed the pillow behind him and slammed it into Lucifer's face wordlessly. Chloe started laughing from beside him as the Devil looked down, the pillow falling into his lap easily. He blinked a few times, waiting until he'd fully recovered from that, before picking the pillow up and smacking Amenadiel with it right back.

"Ow!" His brother protested, snatching the pillow from him and smacking him over the head with it. "Really?"

"You hit me first!" Lucifer exclaimed, ducking to avoid another hit and trying to take the pillow back. "And it hurt, too! Is it possible to get a concussion from a pillow? Because I might have one now!"

"I did not give you a concussion from hitting you with a pillow, Luci!" Amenadiel huffed, throwing the pillow at him. Lucifer picked it up and threw it right back, pouting slightly now. Amenadiel simply grabbed the pillow and smacked him with it again.

"Amenadiel!"

"Okay, okay!" Chloe cut in, reaching over Lucifer and taking the pillow from them. But she was laughing now, one hand covering her mouth. "Boys, that's enough."

"Well, he started it," Lucifer complained, sinking back into the couch. Amenadiel opened his mouth to protest, but a quick look from Chloe silenced them both.

"I don't care who started it, I'm finishing it," she told them firmly. Then, after a moment, she reached over again and smacked first Amenadiel with the pillow, then Lucifer. "There. See? Done."

Lucifer sat, stunned for a moment, before turning to look at Amenadiel, who looked equally stunned. "How is it that a girl can hit harder than you?"

Amenadiel blinked, then narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze to his younger brother. The Devil chuckled nervously and leaned back, though a grin was appearing on his face now. "Shut up, Luci," He eventually huffed, turning back to the TV. Lucifer laughed, and looked over at Chloe, who was shaking her head with an amused grin on her face. She eventually shoved the pillow back at Lucifer, who handed it to Amenadiel to put behind him again.

"So, who's that?" Amenadiel questioned, narrowing his eyes as another guy came onto the screen. Lucifer looked up, pausing for a moment.

"That would be George O'Malley," he responded gleefully. "A bit of a wuss at first, but an amusing character all the same." Amenadiel hummed in acknowledgement, and Lucifer perked up when someone else appeared on the screen. "And _that_ is Alex Karev."

"Ooh, does someone have a crush on Karev?" Chloe teased, leaning forward and lightly nudging her shoulder against Lucifer's. The Devil raised an eyebrow, glancing at her before looking back at the TV.

"Only O'Malley and Stevens, love."

Chloe just laughed and sank back into the couch again, and Lucifer settled back with a smile. "Right, right." The Devil simply rolled his eyes at her and turned back to look up at the TV, letting out a soft sigh. For the first time in a long time, he was content, sitting beside his brother and the Detective. Though, his good mood faltered when he remembered that it would all be over in a month. Just a month.

A short, torturous month. The Devil frowned, looking down for a moment before sucking in a sharp breath and looking up once more, teeth clenching together. He wasn't sure what more he'd expected from his Father - Though demanding his return to Heaven wasn't exactly on the list - But either way, this hurt. Hell, it fucking stung. First his wings, and now God was forcing him into his own literal _Hell_ , and oh, wow, did he hate it. He didn't want to go back there, not for anything.

For a second he considered it. Saying _no_ to Michael, just flat-out telling him he wouldn't go back. The worst his brother could do was beat the crap out of him - Lucifer couldn't enter Heaven now without his own consent, so Michael couldn't drag him back if he said no. That begged the question, though - Was he willing to suffer the consequences? Michael knew his weak spots, knew how to get him to crack. But if Lucifer survived all of it, wouldn't it be worth it? More time with Chloe, more time on Earth.

… Or would Michael kill him? Would God _order_ Michael to kill him, if he refused? Would Michael target Chloe? Or Amenadiel? Or Ella? Or Linda?! Remembering how Uriel had gone after Chloe… And Lucifer knew Michael would stop at _nothing_ to carry out God's orders.

He'd killed Uriel to stop him from hurting Chloe. Lucifer didn't think he had the strength to do the same with Michael. And it wasn't that he didn't want to - Oh, no, he wanted to punish his brother for everything he'd done to him. And if he tried to hurt someone he cared about?

Really, what the Hell could Lucifer do against his brother…?

Lucifer swallowed and looked up, toward the ceiling, then over at Chloe. She was completely focused on the TV. She was innocent, an innocent human who definitely didn't deserve to be dragged into this family drama. None of them did. Amenadiel… Well, hopefully he was smart enough to know to stay out of it. He knew Michael as well as Lucifer did. But, Chloe? Ella? Linda? They were all defenseless.

The Devil sighed and let his eyes slip shut for a second, shaking his head faintly at himself. If going to Heaven, as much as he really, _really_ didn't like it, would prevent someone he cared about being hurt, then he'd go to Heaven.

Decision made. Lucifer blinked his eyes open and looked back up at the TV, eyes narrowing slightly. And he stayed silent through the show, turning the volume down when Chloe started falling asleep. The Detective shifted slightly into a more comfortable position, and in her half-asleep state, she ended up leaning into Lucifer and putting her head on the Devil's shoulder.

Lucifer blinked, and went completely still, not wanting to disturb her. Chloe didn't even say anything, and she didn't move away. And before Lucifer knew it, she was snoring.

"Well," Amenadiel murmured, and Lucifer turned his head to see his oldest brother gazing at them through half-closed eyes, looking exhausted. "Would you look at that."

Lucifer smiled faintly, looking back down at Chloe. It was quiet for a while after that until Amenadiel spoke again, his voice quiet. "When are you going to tell her, Luci?"

"Tell her what?" Lucifer mumbled without looking up. "If it's the Devil thing, she won't believe me anyway."

"How you feel about her."

"Oh." Lucifer glanced up, then back down, giving a one-shouldered shrug to his brother so he didn't disturb Chloe. "No point now," he mumbled. "I mean… Heh, I have a month. No reason to get her attached - Or, more attached…" He trailed off, clearing his throat. "You should sleep, brother."

"Mm." Amenadiel went silent for a little while before piping up again. "Still think you should tell her."

Lucifer shook his head. And by the time he looked up, Amenadiel was snoring, too. The Devil sighed and shifted slightly, careful not to disturb the Detective, and quietly laid his head back and closed his eyes.


	17. Chapter 17

Michael. Felt. Like. _Shit_.

The moment he regained consciousness, _everything hurt_. Most notably, his _head_ , which literally felt like it was exploding from the inside. His breathing grew heavier, and his eyes squeezed shut even tighter hands inching up to press into his eyes wordlessly, mouth opening slightly as he sucked in a sharp gasp. Not only was he in pain, but his stomach and chest were twisting in a way he'd never felt before - And, mind you, it felt very different from the pleasurable warmth he got around Ella - And he felt just about ready to throw up.

A groan left his lips before he could stop it, shifting slightly in the bed and rolling onto his back. His wings were spiking, golden feathers ruffling as he curled both of them around himself. His memory was fuzzy, but he could just vaguely recall… Drinking, a cab, bringing Ella inside…

Ella.

The archangel gasped and pushed himself to sit up, eyes flying open instantly. Then, he practically yelled out from the pain it brought, his entire body aching as he fell to lay back down, wings stretching out restlessly. He laid there for a moment, gasping, before pushing himself back up. This time, bracing himself, he was ready for the pain, and the wave of _nausea_ , dammit, he was going to throw up.

"Hey, hey! Easy!"

Ella's voice broke into the pain bursting through his head, huffing slightly as he dared to crack his eyes open to look up at the girl. He was able to focus for a second, but his eyes squeezed shut again almost immediately, a soft groan escaping him as he shook his head. "What's… What…" He inhaled sharply and let the breath out slowly, desperately trying to spit the words out and keep his mouth opening without throwing up. "I don't…"

"Yeah, yeah, c'mon, I know. Bathroom, buddy, get up."

"Nononono," Michael groaned as Ella grabbed both his hands and pulled him up to stand, shifting back slightly when he felt her arm brush up against one of his wings. He groaned again, wings folding back instantly, and then the realization hit. First, he was an angel, so why the Hell was this hurting his head, and second, his wings were out, and visible.

"What…" Michael breathed, letting his head fall back for a moment and forcing his eyes open again. He waited a moment to adjust to the pain before pushing himself back, lightly twisting out of Ella's grip and fixing the girl with a confused stare, before turning his gaze to his wings. "Can… You…"

"Oh." Ella blinked, and her gaze darted behind Michael, confirming what the archangel already knew. "Yeah, those…"

"Oh…" Michael trailed off, then, despite himself, he started laughing, falling back and covering his face with his hands. "Oh. _Oh_. I am in- I am in _so_ much _trouble_ for this, I- I-" No, he was _definitely_ in trouble for this. Humans weren't supposed to be exposed to divinity, and, hello, this human was staring right at an angel with wings. The archangel groaned and let his hands fall back onto the bed beside him, looking up at Ella, who was just staring at him in confusion. "... You, are not freaking out."

"No," Ella responded carefully, eyebrows pinching together as she moved forward and sat down on the bed beside him, crossing her legs. Michael frowned and pushed himself up, folding his wings back slightly to keep them hidden as usual, and sighing in relief once they were out of the way.

"Yeah, why is that?" Michael asked uncertainly, his gaze flickering over Ella's face, searching for any signs of fear, or discomfort. It must not have completely set in for her just yet.

"Well, why would I?" Ella questioned, looking genuinely bewildered. Michael shook his head, letting out a few disbelieving chuckles and looking down as he rubbed a hand over his mouth. "I mean… You're an angel. I guess I'm not really that surprised anymore. I mean, c'mon… I talk to ghosts. Well, a ghost… And that was a long time ago…" She trailed off, looking distracted, before shaking her head. "But, uh, point is! Sure, this is crazy and weird but… That's kinda my thing, so."

Michael just stared at her, stunned into silence. When he finally managed to speak, his voice had lowered considerably, genuinely confused. "So you're… Not… Scared?"

"Scared?" Ella repeated, eyebrows shooting up. "Uh, Hell no?" After a moment, she squinted, glancing away and frowning to herself. "Wait, is that a bad thing to say to an angel…"

Michael chuckled despite himself, rubbing his head with a sigh. "No," he responded simply, leaning back with a frown. "Mm… Dad's gonna be so mad," he groaned, rolling his eyes toward the ceiling for a moment before looking away again.

"Oh… Big Guy," Ella whispered, her eyes widening. "Totally… Forgot about… Whoa. _Whoa_. W- So, so you- You talk to- You're- He's your _Dad-_ "

Michael frowned, shaking his head. "This is why humans shouldn't…"

"No no no, I'm fine, I promise!" Ella exclaimed, eyes widening even more. "It's just- It's a lot to take in, s… So…" She paused, sitting back and taking in a slow, shaky breath. "D- This means that- If- You're an angel and you're- Lucifer's- So he's- He's really- He's the Devil-"

Michael nodded, a little uncertainly this time. Ella exhaled slowly and sat back, looking down for a long, long time as she considered that. "... I'm friends with the Devil."

"I'm brothers with the Devil," Michael commented, rubbing his eyes. "Look, uh…" He trailed off, clicking his teeth together. "This… Is this- I understand that it's a _lot_ to consider, and to take in, but…" He trailed off, eyebrows pinching together as he glanced up at her. "You can't… Tell anybody, okay? Not everyone will react as calm as you, and… I'll already be in enough trouble with Dad for you finding out in the first place."

"Uh…" Ella blinked a few times, seemingly still lost in thought. "Uh, yeah, um, between us… Wait." She suddenly looked up, eyes wide as she stared at Michael. "Y- You said you're supposed to take Lucifer home… Right?"

"That's the plan."

"Does that mean Hell?" Ella looked a little stressed now. "Does he have to go back to Hell?"

"Uh… No," Michael responded, eyebrows furrowing slightly. "You have to remember, before Sam- Lucifer, became the Devil, he was an angel. A rebellious, annoying, cocky-ass rude angel but an angel…" He trailed off, going silent for a moment before shaking his head. "And, uh, for whatever reason, Dad wants him back in Heaven."

"Whoa," Ella whispered, narrowing her eyes and thinking about that for a moment before speaking up. "So, uh… You're taking him to Heaven?" She frowned. "How long…?"

Michael hesitated, glancing down at her. "... I don't know," he finally sighed. "Dad didn't exactly specify that, and I don't ask questions."

Ella nodded, sitting back and looking down at her hands with a frown. "And how long until he has to go?"

"A month," Michael replied, shaking his head. "Dad's given him a month." He paused, glancing at Ella, and after studying her carefully for a moment, he sat back and shook his head, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He took a moment to try to heal most of the pain he was feeling, something he'd been too stressed to think of before. He relaxed almost instantly, but kept his eyes shut. "So, you find out your friend is the Devil. Taking that pretty well, too."

"Oh, well, yeah. He's still the same Lucifer I know and love… And he's never really lied about it. Nobody's just… Ever believed him," Ella replied, eyebrows furrowing slightly. "He's never hurt anyone… Innocent, at least."

Michael blinked, glancing away. "Guess not," he muttered. Ella paused, looking up at him curiously before reaching out and lightly nudging his shoulder.

"You feelin' better yet?"

"A lot better, actually, yeah," Michael sighed, offering her a small smile. "Uh… Thank you, Ella. Really. For everything," he chuckled. "And _especially_ for taking this so well. Maybe Dad will go easier on me."

"Well, I hope so," Ella responded, grinning. "Now, I'm making food and coffee, and then me and you are gonna sit down and you are going to tell me anything and everything the Bible got wrong or left out, got it?" Without waiting for an answer, she jumped up and skipped out of the room.

Michael stared after her, mouth slightly open, before simply falling back onto the bed and covering his face with his arms. "... Holy crap."


	18. Chapter 18

Lucifer, luckily, was feeling a Hell of a lot better when he woke up. No dizziness, no pain, but he felt uncomfortable and he couldn't quite place why. He shifted slightly, but immediately froze again when he remembered that Chloe was still leaning into him, fast asleep. The Devil took a deep breath and forced himself to relax again, blinking his eyes open and looking down. And he had to do a double take, stunned.

A fluffy, white wing was wrapped around Chloe as she slept, the other curled around both of them like a blanket. He pulled them both away immediately - The only problem with that, ultimately, was that when Chloe felt the "blanket" moving, she shifted slightly and grabbed onto it lightly with one hand to tug it back around her.

"A- Ah-" Lucifer hissed, flinching. And not because it hurt - No, it actually didn't hurt, but it _tickled_. He took a moment to recover, breathing a little unsteadily now and clearing his throat as he pulled away again, this time more firmly. "Sorry, Detective…" He exhaled slowly, folding the wings back out of sight and reaching one hand behind them to ensure they were gone again. Chloe huffed in her sleep, but she didn't wake up.

"Luci?" Amenadiel grunted from beside him, catching Lucifer's attention. The Devil sighed, rolling his head to the side and looking up at his oldest brother, who pushed himself to sit up completely, rubbing his head.

"Hello, brother," Lucifer sighed, not really feeling up to forcing his usual grin at the moment.

"You okay?" Amenadiel raised an eyebrow at him and pushed himself up completely, moving the pillows out from behind him to sit back a little more comfortably. Lucifer hummed, reaching out to take one from him and turning away, putting it on Chloe's other side before steadily beginning to shift the detective to lean against the pillow rather than him.

"Well, I was fine until my bloody wings grew back," he muttered, annoyance edging his tone as he managed to settle Chloe down and lean away, letting out a slow sigh of relief as the pressure on his shoulder was relieved.

"Oh," Amenadiel sighed, watching him. "... Are you going to cut them off again?"

Lucifer frowned and stood up, gesturing for Amenadiel to do the same, which his oldest brother did so reluctantly. "Well, don't see the point in it now… And cutting them off would leave behind more scars for Michael to use against me," he grumbled, gently bringing Chloe's legs up onto the couch so she could lay down more comfortably.

"Right."

"And they just keep coming back anyway," Lucifer huffed, pulling the blanket over Chloe and rubbing her shoulder gently before turning and heading to the kitchen. Amenadiel, once more, followed after him.

"Mhm…" Amenadiel's response trailed off with a yawn. Lucifer snorted, glancing back at his brother before turning to the coffee maker, pulling the empty pot out and shoving it at him.

"You make the coffee, try not to set the place on fire, would you?" The Devil asked sweetly before turning away, pulling open one of the cabinets and pulling out a few pans, glancing from one to the other before setting one on one of the burners on the stove and putting the others back, closing the cabinet. He turned the stove on, then headed over to the fridge and pulled out a pack of bacon.

"... What are you doing?" Amenadiel sighed, still standing exactly where he had been and staring at his brother in exasperated confusion.

"Making breakfast," Lucifer replied innocently, turning and tilting his head at him. Amenadiel opened his mouth, ready to respond, but after a moment he seemed to decide it was a lost cause because he just turned and grabbed a bottle of water, pouring it into the coffee maker wordlessly. Lucifer chuckled, turning away once more and setting to work cooking.

"So on a scale of one to ten, how jealous are you that I'm going to Heaven and you're not?" He asked casually, taking a strip of bacon out of the pack and studying it. After a moment, he put it in his mouth instead and grabbed another one to put on the pan. Amenadiel gave him a look, and Lucifer shrugged, swallowing before speaking. "Honest question, brother. But, believe me, I'd rather it be you than me. Dad's probably just sending me up to punish me, anyhow."

Amenadiel frowned at that, shaking his head at his younger brother. "Or maybe not, Luci. You never know. Maybe he's ready to forgive you."

"Forgive me for _what_?" Lucifer stopped what he was doing to turn his full attention to his brother, giving him a disbelieving look. "First the man casts me out for a few harmless shenanigans-"

"You started a rebellion."

"Well-" Lucifer frowned, and huffed. "Point is, there was a better way to deal with me than He _did_ and I believe it's an apology I'm owed, not forgiveness." He looked away, down at the bacon, before clearing his throat and continuing what he was doing. "Starting a rebellion was hardly worth being kicked out of the house. I mean, there are kids here who do much worse and the worst there parents do is send them to rehab or a military school but even then, in the end once they're not as… Horrible, they get them-" He stopped, and looked up. "... Back."

Amenadiel paused as well, turning his gaze to Lucifer silently.

"Oh," Lucifer mumbled, voice raising slightly in disbelief as he turned his gaze to his brother. " _Oh_."

Amenadiel sighed, eyebrows pinching together as he stared at him. "Are you okay?"

"I…" Lucifer narrowed his eyes, considering that for a moment before turning away and peeling another strip of bacon from the pack, putting it in the pan. "I'm not sure, brother."

"Mm… Okay, I don't think I'm doing this right."

Lucifer glanced over, and did a double take, opening and closing his mouth when he saw what Amenadiel had done. His brother had literally just filled the coffee pot with water, dumped some of the coffee grounds into it, and was now attempting to stir it with a spoon. "It's not…" The Devil trailed off, clearing his throat. "Amenadiel, it's not chocolate milk, that's not how you…"

"Well, I'm not as used to this as you are," Amenadiel retorted, setting the coffee pot down and narrowing his eyes. Lucifer just sighed, setting the pack of bacon down and walking over to dump the pot out in the sink, rinsing it thoroughly before filling it up once more.

"I can tell, brother. Don't-" The Devil warned when his brother reached for the bacon, amusement sparkling through his eyes. "I'd rather you not burn the food, thank you. Just go to a corner and don't touch anything."

Amenadiel rolled his eyes, but he shoved his hands into his pockets and stepped back. "And here I was thinking I'd miss you when Michael took you to Heaven. I don't think so anymore."

"Oh, wow, that hurts," Lucifer laughed, putting the pot back in the coffee maker and grabbing the bag of coffee grounds, staring at it for a while before picking up one of the paper filters beside the coffee maker, pouring some of the grounds into it and putting it neatly in its place in the coffee maker before shutting the lid and turning it on. "Five minutes, turn it off and take the filter out, can you handle that?"

"Yes, Luci," Amenadiel snorted, rolling his eyes. Lucifer chuckled and headed back over to the stove to continue cooking the bacon. "... I never, ever thought that you, of all people…"

"Yes, I know. Cooking. It's odd, me behaving like a mortal…" Lucifer cut him off, shaking his head. Amenadiel hummed in agreement, leaning back and watching him curiously. "Speaking of, how are you handling being human recently, brother? Coming to enjoy it yet?"

"Not quite, Luci, I still want my powers back," Amenadiel sighed, fixing him with a stern look before glancing away. "But I am… Questioning whether or not Father really is testing me at this point, or whether something different is happening here. Either way… I'll manage."

"Mm, that's good," Lucifer sighed, putting the last strip of bacon in the pan. "It's not entirely a bad thing, you know. The mortals fare well without powers and wings… And slowing time isn't exactly a necessity."

"It's more than that, brother. Dealing with mortality - I've always been an angel."

"Things change."

Amenadiel opened his mouth to argue, but eventually decided against it and instead just shook his head with a sigh. "Right," he mumbled. Lucifer hummed, staring at the sizzling bacon curiously. "So, you think Michael got drunk?"

"I'm counting on it," Lucifer admitted with a chuckle. "I cannot handle another day as his partner - He's insufferable and rude and _insensitive_ and being a horrible partner is _my_ job," he complained. Amenadiel actually chuckled a little bit at that, leaning back against the counter and shrugging.

"You really want to spend your last month on Earth working?" He asked curiously after a moment, amused. "I'd expect you to be partying and…"

"Having as much sex as possible?" Lucifer guessed, smirking a bit now. "Plenty of time for that, brother. I'd like to punish as many people as I can before I have to go back."

"And spend a little more time with Chloe."

"Perhaps," Lucifer allowed, giving a small sigh and narrowing his eyes at the stove. "Anyway, as I was saying, hopefully I'll be free of the dick today…" He stopped, trailing off, and groaned. "Oh, bloody Hell," he breathed, rubbing a hand down his face and shaking his head.

"What?" Amenadiel questioned, looking a little confused now.

"Pierce," Lucifer huffed. "His little vacation ends today. One dick leaves and another returns, seems appropriate," he grumbled, shaking his head and turning away with a sigh. And he turned just in time to see Chloe walking in, rubbing her eyes and giving both of them a tired, confused look. "Oh, good morning, Detective."

"Uh-" Amenadiel blinked, straightening up. "Good morning."

"Morning…" Chloe mumbled, glancing between them, then looking at the stove, eyebrows raising faintly. "What are you…"

"Cooking breakfast," Lucifer responded simply, offering her his usual smile. "Now, why don't you go get dressed - Oh, speaking of, any chance you could drive us back to the penthouse? I'll need a change of clothes before we go back to the precinct."

"Right..." Chloe paused, looking over at Amenadiel. "Do you want to stay here?"

"Oh, no, that's okay, Chloe," Amenadiel replied quickly, blinking. "You don't have to..."

Chloe blinked, tilting her head. "I don't mind if you stay here. I was planning on forcing you and Lucifer to spend the night again until I was sure the Dick not going to try anything else."

Lucifer grinned ever so slightly at that, and gave Amenadiel a look. His older brother side, but he gave in. "Well, then, uh... Sure, Chloe. Thank you."

"'Course," Chloe responded simply, smiling faintly now.

"Do you have to pick up your offspring or is she being delivered here?" Lucifer asked, turning back to eye the bacon. "I've made enough for her, as well."

"Dan's picking her up, he's taking a day off to take her to the zoo," Chloe replied, backing out of the room and heading back down the hall. Lucifer gave a small hum of acknowledgement, watching her go with a smile.

"... It's been five minutes." Amenadiel walked forward and turned the coffee maker off, pulling the pot out and opening the lid to take the filter out. Lucifer just hummed again, still staring after Chloe, before clearing his throat and turning away.

"I think today's going to be a good day, brother."


	19. Chapter 19

So, some pancakes and coffee and a few stories later, Ella and Michael entered the precinct, both grinning as Ella chattered on and on about everything, asking questions and such - But Michael shushed her when they got inside, glancing around at all the people and tilting his head toward Ella warningly. The girl, getting the hint, stopped, but her grin never faltered. "There'll be plenty of time for questions later," Michael whispered. "Let's focus on work, okay?"

"Right," Ella responded with a giggle, that sweet, pure grin on her face as she skipped forward and wrapped her arms around him. Michael was quicker to react this time, hugging her right back, but he was still surprised when it gave him that weird, tingling, twisting feeling. Ella headed off, and Michael tilted his head with a smile and watched her go.

And, just like the other day, someone shoved past him - Chloe, he checked - And this time, the girl glanced back. Her eyes hardened as soon as they met his amber ones, and she whipped back around and continued on her way, not breaking stride. Michael let out a low hum, nodding faintly to himself and starting to head back to his desk, only to pause when he saw Lucifer as well. "Sammy!"

Lucifer skidded to a stop, wincing, and turned to face him wordlessly. Michael grinned, adjusting the white suit he'd changed into, and walked forward to stand in front of his brother. "Where's the fire, huh?"

Lucifer hesitated, leaning back as he approached and glancing back over his shoulder, toward Chloe. He seemed extremely uncomfortable, but he didn't answer, mouth shut firmly and his eyes flickering warily as he turned back to look up at his older brother. Michael cocked his head to the side expectantly. "Oookay," the archangel sighed slowly, narrowing his eyes slightly and taking a small step forward. Lucifer stepped back instinctively. "Remember what I told you about ignoring me? That still applies, y'know, Little Lightbringer."

Lucifer just stared back, eyes narrowed now, flickering with anger, fear and frustration all at once. "I'm just trying to work, Michael."

"And I think you've forgotten you work with me now, not your little friend," Michael remarked, once more stepping forward. He glanced over his brother's shoulder, toward Chloe, who hadn't quite noticed the two of them just yet, busy talking to the other detective, Dan. Michael hummed and looked back down at Lucifer, who was still staring at him, eyes hard.

"Well, go ahead," Lucifer snorted, raising his chin slightly and tilting his head at his younger brother. "Throw a punch or something."

Michael rolled his eyes, glancing away. "You know damn well I'm not going to do that here, id-" He cut off with a small grunt when someone else shoved past him, this one more forcefully, enough to make the archangel stagger sideways. He steadied himself quickly and looked up, eyebrows raising slightly as he stared after the man who had pushed past him, and he found himself speaking up before he could stop himself. "Uh, s'cuse me, cunt? Rude."

The man stopped in his tracks and turned slowly. Lucifer simply backed up and headed back to Chloe, but Michael had lost interest in him, his attention focused only on the man at that point. His blue eyes met Michael's unflinchingly. "Excuse me?"

"Now, that would've been the nice thing to say instead of just barging past someone, hm?" Michael held his gaze easily, amber eyes sparking up slightly. But he refrained from punching the man in the face, knowing full well that once he got going, he wouldn't stop, and his Father had specifically told him not to harm _any_ humans. Even rude, disrespectful asshats like this one. "Now, who the Hell do you think you are?"

The man raised an eyebrow and walked forward to stand in front of him. "Lieutenant Marcus Pierce," he responded sharply, and Michael blinked, tilting his head. "And who the Hell do _you_ think _you_ are?" He looked him up and down, narrowing his eyes. "Are you even a cop, or a Cult leader…?"

Michael snorted, rolling his eyes. "Not only Cult leaders can wear white, rude ass," he responded sweetly, putting an innocent grin on his face. "And yeah, I'm a cop. Michael Saint. And you…" He narrowed his eyes. "Well, for one thing, I've just started talking to you and you already seem like a cocky, arrogant dick who uses his title to push around those lower than him. Not that I'm opposed, but something about you just," he sighed, glancing away. "Makes me want to bash your head in."

"Is that a threat?" Pierce growled, lowering his voice slightly and fixing him with a death glare. Michael blinked, turning his gaze back to him curiously.

"Oh, no," he assured. "I'm not going to hurt you. Not allowed, actually. Unfortunately. Just thought I'd put that out there."

"Right." Pierce raised his head slightly, holding his gaze for a moment. "I suggest you get your act together before I report you, _Saint_ ," he spoke somewhat sarcastically, but his expression remained cold, and his gaze never moved from Michael's. "Am I clear?"

"Sir, yes sir," Michael replied just as sarcastically, a grin tugging at his lips. Pierce shook his head and turned away, walking off wordlessly, and Michael hummed, watching him go. Well, this should definitely make the month much, much more interesting… The archangel turned his gaze back to Lucifer, who was now talking to Chloe, peering over her shoulder at a file she was holding. But his younger brother's gaze kept flickering up, toward Pierce, Michael noticed, and his expression held just as much loathing as Michael felt for the man.

Which, ironically, changed his opinion of Pierce completely.

 _The enemy of my enemy is my friend,_ he thought, lips twitching slightly into a smile now. He turned away, running his fingers through his blonde hair and letting out a small laugh. _Yeah, interesting indeed._

* * *

Michael decided, after a few hours of sitting at his desk going through papers, that this job was _boring_. You'd think more people would die, but no. There was nothing. No other cases, and nothing for him to do. The archangel was genuinely considering just leaving, honestly. Maybe going to talk to Ella for a while. But the thing that got him most, was that Lucifer, the most restless, rebellious and high-maintenance of his siblings, was sitting on Chloe's desk, not seeming at all bothered that he had nothing to do, and seemed beyond content to just sit there and talk while she worked. On occasion she'd look up in annoyance and glare at him, but it never kept him quiet for long. And even through the irritation, Michael could sense the amusement coming from her in waves.

Pierce would leave his office on occasion, sometimes stopping to speak with Chloe. Lucifer never seemed pleased when he approached, glaring at him when nobody was looking and giving him the most _fake_ sweet little smile Michael had ever seen. Honestly, Michael didn't know who his little brother hated more - Him or Pierce. But either way, it was amusing watching how this man effected his brother, how he seemingly annoyed him to no end, and he was pretty damn sure he knew why.

Chloe looked at Pierce the way Lucifer looked at Chloe. Eyes sparkling, warm smiles and sparing a glance when the other wasn't looking - Sometimes just staring for the Hell of it. Lucifer liked - Or, Hell, it didn't take a genius to see that Lucifer was in love with the Detective, and Chloe… Well, she quite obviously held some feelings for Pierce.

And, amusing as it was, Michael had a hard time rooting for Pierce on this one. Simply because the way he looked at her wasn't like Lucifer did. Yes, there was some kind of longing in his gaze - He wanted something, something he thought Chloe could give. And no, he wasn't lustful, Michael knew that look. He wanted something else, something deeper, something… Personal. But he didn't love her.

Lucifer, he didn't want anything from Chloe. Hell, he didn't even want to get with her, clearly enough. For whatever reason. But he also seemingly didn't want Chloe with Pierce - Probably because he saw what Michael did; Pierce wanted to use her for… Well, whatever it was - Lucifer did not.

And, despite himself, even he had to take his brother's side on _that_ one. Lucifer was probably the better one for Chloe, but, regardless… They couldn't be together. Michael had to make sure of that. A relationship between them could cause definite problems as far as taking Lucifer back to Heaven with, and he couldn't afford for anything to get in the way of that. As much as he disliked Pierce, perhaps pushing Lucifer out of the picture by getting the two of them together would sever that bond.

Though, even he had to admit, it would suck. He saw how attached his brother was to the human. The way he spoke to her, looked at her. The way they interacted… But, still. His Father ordered him to bring Lucifer back to Heaven in a month, and he couldn't let anything… Or anyone, get in the way of that.

Sighing, the archangel started to push his chair back, giving into his boredom and preparing to go talk to Ella. However, when he looked up, he noticed Pierce approaching his desk - And, surprised and faintly amused, he sank right back down and quirked an eyebrow at him. "Aw, I knew you'd be back, babe," he said sarcastically, lowering his chin and narrowing his eyes faintly at the Lieutenant.

Pierce didn't reply at first, dropping a file in front of him and leaning against the desk. "Just noticed you seemed bored and thought I'd bring you some entertainment, that's all," he responded just as sarcastically. Michael hummed, plucking the file up and flipping it open wordlessly, looking down to skim the papers inside.

"Ooh, death. Fun." He glanced up, amber eyes focusing on Pierce, then tilted his head toward Lucifer. "Can I have my partner back for this one?"

"Nope. He's with Chloe. I'll be with you instead," Pierce replied smoothly, and Michael snorted. "Quality bonding time… Babe. Do your research, get me a lead." With that, he straightened up, and turned and walked off. Michael cocked his head to the side, watching him go before letting out a small laugh and setting the file back down, rolling his eyes and letting his head fall back. He looked up again just in time to see Pierce stopping at Chloe's desk, handing over another file to Lucifer, but it was immediately snatched from him by Chloe, much to the Devil's disappointment. Michael tilted his head, watching the Lieutenant disappear into his office.

The archangel was about to relent and start reading, but he paused when someone else approached his desk, this person much, much more favorable than Pierce. "Hey, angel boy!"

"El," Michael said warmly, pushing himself to stand up with a grin. "Wish you were my partner on this case instead, you're a lot less boring than Pierce."

"Too bad I'm a forensic scientist and not a cop, sorry, pal," Ella giggled, flashing him her usual smile. "But, if it helps, I am _kind of_ still working the case! Just running fingerprints and DNA samples and such. A murder weapon would help, but, oh well. I'm just about to head back to the scene of the crime, see if there's anything the other guys missed."

"Good luck with that," Michael told her genuinely, his grin not faltering as he settled himself on the edge of his desk.

"Thanks. Good luck with Pierce." Ella grinned. "He seems really rough around the edges, but trust me, total teddy bear." With that, she turned and bounced off, hugging Chloe, then Lucifer as she passed before continuing on her way. After saying something to Lucifer, Chloe got up and headed after her, pulling her to a stop to say something to her.

And for a while, both brothers just sat in complete silence, Michael's gaze fixed on Ella and Lucifer's gaze fixed on Chloe. When the two looked up again, however, their gazes met from across the room, and the smile that had previously been on Lucifer's face faltered, turning completely confused now. Michael blinked, realizing he'd also been grinning - The smile was wiped from his face in an instant, replaced with his own look of confusion.

He offered a hesitant glance toward Ella before shaking his head and looking away again, this time avoiding Lucifer's gaze.

 _You are not attached to the human. You are not attached to the human,_ he told himself firmly. _She's just nicer than the others, and - Well, who couldn't like her, yeah? But you're not attached. I am not. Attached._ He took a deep breath and stood up once more, heading back around the desk and sitting down in his chair wordlessly, plucking the file up once more. He had a case to focus on, and, boring as it was, he would focus.

He turned his gaze to the file, once more skimming over it, but stopped when he finally registered the name on the papers. _Alexander Miles_. Michael's eyebrows raised, leaning back and tilting his head in confusion as he gazed down, focusing completely now. They'd just released Alexander yesterday after arresting Zoe. And, apparently, the man had seemingly died from several gunshot wounds to the head, but the gun that had been used to kill him, as Ella had said, hadn't been recovered from the crime scene.

Meaning that the killer was still out there, and armed no less - And who knew who else he planned to kill? That alone made this extremely difficult, and Michael didn't _like_ difficult. Not at all. For a moment, the archangel wondered if this had anything to do with Liorah's case - But there was no way Zoe could have done it, she was in prison…

"Could really use Sammy right about now," he huffed, letting his gaze flicker up toward Lucifer, who had hopped off of Chloe's desk and was now sitting in her chair, file open in front of him as he read. He then glanced toward Pierce's office, annoyed. He knew Pierce already didn't like him, and the warning of making him leave had been enough for Michael to back off, at least a bit. He had to keep an eye on his brother, God's orders, so getting "fired" wasn't exactly on his to-do list.

Meaning he had to suck it up and deal with the fact that he wasn't Lucifer's partner, and that he actually had to do some of the work. The archangel sighed and sat back, looking back down at the file and narrowing his eyes. "Alright, guess I'm doing this solo…"

"Not quite."

"Oh, welcome back, sweetheart." Michael grinned, looking up. But Pierce barely gave him a passing glance, shrugging his jacket on as he walked.

"Got a lead on a suspect, Saint, you coming or what?"

"Of course," Michael snorted, shutting the file and pushing his chair back, standing up. After a moment of consideration, he picked the file back up and followed, falling into step with the Lieutenant easily. "Can I drive?"

Pierce didn't even look at him. "No."


	20. Chapter 20

"Liam Hostwell…" Lucifer leaned back a little in the seat, grinning slightly to himself as he let his gaze flicker over the file. He looked up briefly to watch Michael and Pierce leave, a smirk settling on his lips despite himself. It was about damn time someone stood up to Michael and told him off like he deserved - Of course, unfortunate that it was Pierce that did so. He hated Pierce. _Cain against the Archangel Michael… Fight of the Millenia, people, come one, come all._ And he couldn't help but wonder who would win, in that fight…

He stopped, and dropped the file, blinking as he stared down. Michael's Sword. The only thing they hadn't tried - A blade forged in Heaven. The sword could supposedly kill anything - Which made Lucifer wonder, for a second, if maybe it could break the curse and kill _Cain_ once and for all.

Now, was he willing to get close to the sword that he'd been stabbed with one too many times? Not particularly. But if he could get it from Michael, somehow, then _maybe_ he could use it on Cain and finish him off. He had promised to find a way to kill him - And, well, he couldn't leave without keeping that promise. He _was_ a Devil of his word, wasn't he? Grinning slightly now, Lucifer sat back once more and picked the file back up, forcing himself to focus.

And then, remembering that Michael wasn't on this case and he didn't need to focus, he abruptly dropped it again. He could go back to being his usually annoying self. Okay, maybe not _as_ annoying, and maybe he'd do _some_ work, but he wasn't going to do all of it, or as much as he had done with the previous one. After all, he now had his smart, amazing partner back, and Chloe Decker was the best of the best. But he was taking back his title of "annoying ass partner" one way or the next.

He adjusted his suit and looked up, toward Chloe and Ella. They were still talking - About what, Lucifer didn't know, but he wasn't particularly interested. The two dicks were working together, and he was free to be with his old partner for the rest of the day - Yeah, he felt pretty good. Smirking, he pushed the chair back and began to spin himself around, humming. He'd been right - Today was going to be a good day. Even though he'd gotten his wings back. There was nothing he could do about that, and cutting them off would both give him a weakness and just be completely futile, because he knew without a doubt that they would just return.

The Devil was still spinning when Chloe came back; She grabbed the chair with one hand to stop him, and he looked up, blinking innocently and offering her a sweet little smile through the dizziness. "You're going to be completely annoying all day, aren't you."

"Indeed I am, Detective," Lucifer replied with a grin. Despite herself, Chloe chuckled and pulled up another chair, sitting down and grabbing the file.

"Good," was all she said, before falling silent and looking down to read. Lucifer was… Honestly pleased by that. As annoying as he was, the Detective still liked him. And, well, who wouldn't? He was a likable person, wasn't he? More likable than his siblings, at least. And definitely more likable than Michael… Ah, yeah, he was definitely a joy to be around, and everyone knew it. Even the Detective. He knew she'd realize it eventually. "Okay, so Liam was…"

"Twenty-six, a mailman, died from multiple stab wounds to the stomach," Lucifer recited with ease spinning the chair around again. He ignored the faintly surprised look from Chloe, leaning his head back to look up at the ceiling as he spun. "Murder weapon - A kitchen knife - was found at the scene, fingerprints too smudged to- Hey," he complained when Chloe stopped him from spinning, sinking back into the chair with a frown.

"First off, good job for doing your research, second off, if you spin the chair one more time, you're sitting on the floor," Chloe told him sternly, but amusement was glittering through her eyes. Despite that, Lucifer could tell she wasn't joking, so he did stop. Because the floor was uncomfortable and he was _very_ aware of that. "But, anyway, yeah, the fingerprints were too smudged to identify, so Ella's gonna run some other tests and see what we can get. Apparently the last person he spoke to was his best friend, so we need to bring him in for questioning."

"Wonderful," Lucifer responded, offering her a bright grin. "Can I drive?"

"No," Chloe told him, setting the file down and standing up. Lucifer hummed faintly in disappointment and stood up as well, starting to move past him, but Chloe stopped him before he could. "Are you feeling better?" She checked, gaze darting to his arm, then back up to his face.

Lucifer blinked and looked down for a second. His arm still hurt a little, but not as bad as yesterday. The rest of him hardly hurt at all. The Devil hummed and looked up, flashing his usual shit-eating grin at her. "Fit as a fiddle, Detective."

Chloe squinted, studying him for a moment. "You sure?"

"Positive," Lucifer replied, chuckling. "Now, let's go catch a killer, hm?" He brushed past her again and headed off. "Better hurry on, now, or I may just leave without you." He heard a small laugh from Chloe, and grinned a little to himself as the Detective fell into step with him, looking amused.

"You don't even know where we're going."

"... Fair enough," Lucifer relented, pausing as he passed Ella. The girl stopped as well, looking up at him and offering her usual, cheerful grin. "Hello, Miss Lopez. Did my brother enjoy the "house of intoxicants"?"

"Very much so. I figured out he liked white wine," Ella responded with a laugh, eyes sparkling with amusement. Chloe tilted her head, not seeming to enjoy the topic of Michael in general, but she did seem faintly amused, herself. "Can you believe I got an arc- Uh, I got-" She stumbled over her words, eyes flashing with alarm for a second, and the smile that had previously been on Lucifer's face vanished in an instant. "Oh, I, uh-" Ella's gaze flickered to Chloe, then back to Lucifer. "I just, remembered, I gotta- Do- Something, so, uh, yeah!" With that, she rushed past them both.

Lucifer stared at where she had been standing for a long, long time before turning his head to look after her, a weird expression crossing his face. _No. She was about to say archangel, wasn't she?_ He wondered, hands curling briefly into fists, and he shoved them both into his pockets wordlessly, taking a deep breath. _Michael told her. The dumbass - No, what has he done?_

The last person who'd known the truth had pretty much broken, at least for a while, after Lucifer had shown her. Ella was supposed to be innocent, and she was supposed to stay a sweet little ray of sunshine. Lucifer had already screwed up beyond belief by bringing Linda into all this crap, and oh, Dad, what had Michael been thinking, bringing Ella into it as well? Sure, maybe a bit hypocritical of him - Especially considering he wasn't exactly all too secretive about his title of "Satan", but that was for two reasons. One, nobody believed him anyway. And two, he didn't _lie_.

"Are you okay?" Chloe tilted her head, staring up at him. She looked completely bewildered, but seemed to be trying to shake it off. Lucifer shook his head to clear it, turning his gaze back to the Detective, then looking after Ella once more.

"I don't know," he responded honestly, clearing his throat and turning away, heading off once more. Chloe sighed, but followed, luckily not questioning anymore. Lucifer knew one thing - Or, two things. One, he was going to make sure he was right, and see if Ella really did know everything, and two? If she did, terror for his brother be damned, he'd had no right to bring her into any of this and Lucifer was going to see to it that he knew that.


	21. Chapter 21

"I don't like you."

"Oh, no, I can tell." Michael chuckled, looking up toward the road and narrowing his eyes curiously before looking back at Pierce. The other man kept his eyes fixed intently on the road, but his expression was still stone-cold. And, oddly enough, Michael really couldn't sense that much emotion from him. Just a strong, desperate sense of longing for something that was so obviously far out of his reach. The despair and disappointment and _rage_ that spun around him was almost… Familiar. Like he'd felt it from someone else before, a long, long time ago. The archangel tilted his head, glancing out the window and narrowing his eyes. "To be fair, the feelings are mutual."

Pierce glanced at him, but returned his gaze to the road rather quickly. "Good to know," he mumbled. "I'm just curious as to why you suddenly showed up, out of nowhere. And more curious as to why a "Michael Saint" doesn't really exist. Anywhere. I've checked. You're a complete fake, and I don't like fakes. Too much like Morningstar - Whom you quite obviously have history with -, popping into existence from nowhere, and getting a job in the LAPD. And I wanna know why, and I wanna know now."

Michael chuckled a bit despite himself, keeping his gaze fixed out the window. He hummed, a smirk tugging at his lips briefly as he leaned his head back. "Just…" He trailed off, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "I'm just curious - Why do you assume… That I have to justify _anything_ to you?"

The anger sizzling from Pierce intensified, which Michael was greatly amused by. "Because you work under me, now, Saint, and I can change that real quick. So if you want to continue watching Morningstar like a hawk, I'd suggest you answer. Starting with, why the Hell are you so interested in Morningstar in the first place?"

"I am my brother's keeper," Michael replied casually, a smirk tugging at his lips. That had Pierce's attention immediately, the man's gaze flickering from the road to the archangel in an instant. "Ooh, that struck something." Michael paused, rolling his head to the side and raising his eyebrows as he met Pierce's gaze once more, tilting his head faintly. "You good, Piercey?"

"You're Lucifer's brother?" Pierce narrowed his eyes faintly, his gaze not moving from Michael's now, and the archangel glanced toward the road, eyebrows raising faintly.

"And the best of many, pal. Might wanna watch where you're driving."

Pierce didn't respond for a moment. Eventually, though, he took a sharp turn and pulled over, turning to him once the car had stopped. Michael raised an eyebrow in surprise, looking over at him and tilting his head as the man turned to face him. "You're _Michael_ ," he said slowly. "The _archangel Michael_."

"Oh, Sammy let you in on the little secret, did he?" Michael questioned, holding his gaze easily. After a moment, though, he tilted his head, looking curious. "Though, I mean… You seem familiar. Wait…" He trailed off, his gaze darting to Pierce's arm, then back to his face. He narrowed his eyes, going silent for a moment. No, Pierce was definitely familiar - And now, he was pretty sure, he knew how.

A grin broke across his face, meeting Pierce's gaze once more. "No way. That despair, the anger, the pain, I knew I recognized it," he chuckled, amber eyes flaming up. "Cain."

Pierce lowered his chin, never breaking eye contact with Michael, but it was enough of a confirmation.

"Aw, that's gold!" Michael exclaimed, laughing a little bit as his eyes widened. "Of course. Oh, how ironic is it that the first murderer became a cop? I find that extremely ironic, honestly. Man, my Father got you _good_. And judging by all that pain, man, you must be having it rough, huh? I think the punishment fits the crime," he mused, smirk widening. Pierce just continued to glare, expression not changing. "Aw, come on, now, give me a little smile. How about that devious smirk I remember, Cainy boy?"

In response, Pierce turned and shoved his door open wordlessly, getting out. And he stormed over, and Michael watched, amused amber eyes flickering with curiosity as Pierce ripped his door open and yanked the archangel out of the car. "Ooh, okay, tough boy. You really wanna do this, do you?"

"I've wanted to do this for a very, _very_ long time, you son of a bitch," Pierce seethed, shoving Michael back against a wall as hard as he could. "And I wasn't going to, but you really, really didn't help anything by running your sorry ass mouth."

Michael offered him a lazy smile in response, unfazed. "Hit me with your best shot, baby, you can't kill me."

"Fair fight then," Pierce remarked before simply slamming his fist into the archangel's face. Michael raised an eyebrow, hearing something crack, but judging by the way Pierce jerked his hand back, it hadn't been his jaw. Michael hummed, opening and closing his mouth a few times before raising one hand and grabbing Pierce by the front of his shirt, lightly peeling the man off of him and holding him at arm's length, his other hand rubbing his jaw firmly.

"Nice hit," he told Pierce after a moment, once more turning to stare into those furious blue eyes of his. Michael's own eyes flared up, flames flickering deep within the bright amber depths as he turned and shoved Pierce back into the wall, holding him with ease. "My turn."

"Not so fast, feathers," Pierce hissed. Before Michael could respond, or react, the man had kneed him right in the crotch, causing the archangel to release him instantly. Pierce then proceeded to grab Michael by the back of his shirt and ram him into a wall - The archangel flinched, hearing his head crack against the bricks, and hissed out slightly as the man's fist connected with his back, right where his wings were. "See, I know a thing or two."

"Great," Michael huffed, gripping the wall tightly and taking a deep breath. "But you must have forgotten one thing, Cain."

"Oh yeah?" Pierce growled, curling his fingers into the archangel's folded wings. Michael snarled slightly under his breath, fingers digging into the bricks tightly, and he waited a moment before replying.

"I know more." He yanked himself back, pulling one of the bricks out of the wall as he did, and spun around. He slammed his elbow into Pierce's face as he turned, causing the man to stumble back, and when the archangel turned completely, he slammed the brick into the side of Pierce's head, breathing heavily. The man fell, blood trickling from the side of his head, and Michael slid a step back, cursing under his breath and looking around. Pierce had been smart enough to park them in an abandoned alley, go figure.

 _Of course, the dumbass wanted a fight all along._ Michael shook his head and looked down, waiting. It took a minute or so, but Pierce eventually sucked in a sharp gasp of air, chest heaving as he scrambled to push himself back up. Michael's amber eyes flickered, blazing with fire as he stepped back and tilted his head. "Welcome back."

"You're still strong," Pierce noted, taking a deep breath and touching the side of his head, looking down at the blood on his fingers once he lowered his hand. After a moment, he nodded, looking up. "But I'm strong, too."

"Yeah, if you say so," Michael responded sarcastically, tossing the brick to the side and spreading both his arms and wings out, his gaze meeting Pierce's. "Let's go then, round two."


	22. Chapter 22

"Ah, this feels wonderful."

Lucifer grinned, turning his head to look out the window, relaxing in the passenger seat as Chloe drove. And it did, feel wonderful - Being there with Chloe, that is. It was so much better, being beside her. It was as if Michael had never showed up in the first place. It was just him and the Detective, like old times - The way it used to be and the way it _should_ be, and Lucifer loved it. The Devil smiled to himself, eyes slipping shut for a moment as he let out a low, gentle sigh. "Doesn't it feel wonderful, Detective?"

"Doesn't- Doesn't what feel wonderful?" Chloe asked slowly, sounding confused and faintly distracted. Lucifer actually chuckled a little, blinking his eyes open and turning his head to the side to smile at her. Not his usual cocky grin, but a soft, warm, genuine smile.

"Well, us, of course, Detective," he responded, grinning. "Together again, ey? Lucifer Morningstar and Chloe Decker, unstoppable partners fighting crime!"

At this, Chloe actually snickered, glancing over at the Devil and giving a small smile. "Well, then, yes, it does feel wonderful. And I know you're happy about not having to work with your brother, and believe me, I am too. But we do need to focus on this case, before someone else gets hurt, okay?"

"Of course," Lucifer responded cheerfully, turning to look back out the window now. He smiled to himself, watching everything pass by, gaze flickering as he leaned his head back. "Focus on the case… Which, I am working with you, and not my rude, horrible, abusive big brother. And I do much prefer working with you over him, and not just because you're not rude, horrible or abusive, but because you are the exact opposite, I mean, you're absolutely amazing to be ar-" He stopped, mouth opening and closing as he forced himself to stop talking, realizing that what he was saying could quickly lead to one of those moments between him and Chloe, which led to attachment, which would lead to pain when he was ultimately forced back into Heaven, and…

Lucifer's smile fell into a frown, looking down and closing his eyes. The Devil let his breath out slowly, biting down on his tongue and shaking his head. "Hah…"

"... It's okay, you know."

"No, it's not," Lucifer mumbled. "I'm going to have to leave all of this behind - Leave _you_ behind, to go back to…" He huffed out a sigh and shook his head, rubbing a hand over his mouth and clearing his throat. "Ah, anyway. Focus on the case, right…" He took a deep breath and straightened up.

"Funny, avoiding dealing with things by working is usually my thing," Chloe remarked, glancing over at him and tilting her head. "Have I been a bad influence on you?"

"Well, now, it's my job to be the bad influence." Lucifer managed to force a small smile at her, glancing away again. "So, then, Liam's best friend, last one to be seen with him… So are we bringing him in or just stopping to chat?"

"Honestly depends," Chloe admitted. "We might not need to take him in."

"Right…" Lucifer narrowed his eyes, staring out the window. "So, who was first on the scene, exactly?"

"His roommate. But her alibi checks out. She's the one that mentioned Kyle in the first place," Chloe explained, letting out a soft hum as she took a turn and tilted her head toward Lucifer. "You really are focusing on this case."

Lucifer nodded in agreement, clicking his teeth together. "So unless he has an alibi, we bring him in?" He checked, and Chloe nodded. "And where do we find him?"

"According to Liam's roommate, Kyle works morning shift… Here," Chloe stated, suddenly slowing the car down. Lucifer tilted his head and looked up, admiring the coffee shop they'd pulled up to. It was actually kind of fancy looking… For a coffee shop. "C'mon," Chloe hummed, pushing the door open and getting out. Lucifer chuckled, opening his door and getting out with a grin.

"And you're sure he'll be here?"

"Pretty sure, yeah," Chloe replied, brushing past him and heading inside. Lucifer nodded, rubbing his arm and looking down for a second before clearing his throat and following her wordlessly. It was even fancier on the inside. The walls were a nice, pale green-yellow color, and the floor was… What looked like birch wood? The tables were silver, with white tablecloths draped over them. There were only two people behind the counter, a man and a woman, so it was pretty obvious to see which one was probably Kyle.

"This is a cute little place," Lucifer mumbled to himself, looking around. "I'll have to come here for coffee one of these days… Where are you going- Oh, right," he snorted at himself, shaking his head and forcing himself to focus as he followed Chloe to the counter.

"Kyle Robertson?"

The man looked up instantly, eyes widening slightly. He had dark, brown-ish hair and bright, baby blue eyes. Lucifer wouldn't deny it, yeah, he was kind of cute. "That's me!" He replied with a grin, moving forward to talk to them without getting in the girl's way. "Do I know you?" His gaze flickered from Chloe to Lucifer, and he blinked. "Oh, no, wait, I'd remember you…"

"You most certainly would," Lucifer assured him with a grin, and Kyle chuckled, his face turning slightly red as he cleared his throat and looked away.

Chloe gave Lucifer a look before turning back to Kyle, clearing her throat. "I'm Chloe Decker, LAPD, and this is my partner, Lucifer Morningstar," she said simply. Kyle blinked, tilting his head. "Mister Robertson, when's the last time you spoke to Liam Hostwell?"

Kyle's eyes brightened immediately, an innocent grin spreading over his face. "Uh, few days ago! We had plans with Tommy, but he said he had to raincheck 'cause something came up. I haven't heard from him since, and I was actually gonna stop by to see him after my shift." After a moment's pause, his smile faded. "Wait, LAPD…" He trailed off, eyebrows furrowing. "Did Liam get involved with those shady street guys again? I told him not to…"

"Shady street guys?" Lucifer tilted his head, clicking his teeth together before shaking his head. "Hm."

Chloe grimaced, glancing at Lucifer and clearing his throat. "Liam was found dead this morning in his house." At that, Kyle tensed up, his expression changing completely as his gaze locked with Chloe's. A completely disbelieving look crossed his face, opening his mouth to speak but snapping it shut almost immediately, unable to respond to that.

"That's…" Kyle trailed off, blue eyes darting to his hands for a second. "God dammit…"

"Yes, He's good at damning things, isn't He?" Lucifer mumbled dryly, at least having enough sense to keep his voice low so that only he and Chloe could hear. His gaze darted up to the ceiling, then back down, shaking his head wordlessly.

"Where were you yesterday between two and three-thirty PM?"

"Here. Working," the girl working with Kyle cut in before he could answer, turning a cold amber gaze to Chloe, then Lucifer. The Devil blinked, vaguely reminded of Michael. "Which he's supposed to be doing now."

"Hold on, Kila," Kyle sighed, frowning. Chloe raised an eyebrow, clearing her throat and turning Kyle's attention back to her.

"Do you know of anybody who would possibly want to hurt Liam?"

Kyle actually chuckled a little at that, shaking his head and rubbing his eyes. "Dude had all kinds of enemies, man, we all did," he told her, letting out a slow sigh. "But, I mean, I don't keep track, y'know? That's Tommy's job."

"Right," Chloe mumbled, eyes narrowing lightly. "So where can we find Tommy?"

Kyle hesitated, looking away.

"Kyle. We want to solve your friend's murder, and we need the right information to do so." Chloe leaned forward. "Where can we find Tommy?"

Kyle continued to stare down for a moment before giving in, taking a deep breath and turning away to grab something. "He doesn't usually accept meeting requests, much less with cops, but I'll talk to him. I might be able to persuade him to talk."

"Not a big fan of cops, huh?" Lucifer tilted his head, watching him curiously. "Doing something illegal, is he?"

Kyle actually laughed a little bit at that, turning back to him and handing over a piece of paper with something scribbled down - Looked like a phone number. And Chloe took it before Lucifer could, unfortunately. "I guess, if you look too deeply into it," he admitted. "But he's never hurt anybody. But like I said, I'll talk to him. And don't call him too much, it makes him crabby and nobody likes Tommy when he's crabby."

"Right…" Chloe trailed off, clearing her throat and stepping back. "Well, thank you, Mister Robertson."

"Just call me Kyle," Kyle told her, glancing back at Lucifer for a second. "Happy to help. 'Specially if it puts the asshat that killed my best friend behind bars." He cleared his throat and looked away again, blinking. "I gotta get back to work. But I'll call Tommy about talking to you guys, okay?"

"Alright." Chloe tilted her head, and Lucifer hummed slightly as Kyle turned away from them. The Detective hummed before turning away and heading out without a word. After a second glance at the girl, Lucifer turned and followed, shaking his head and falling into step with her. "So, we need to check out this "Tommy" guy."

"Indeed," Lucifer hummed, staring ahead silently for a moment. He pushed the doors open wordlessly, holding them open for Chloe and letting them swing shut behind them as he followed her to the car. "Though, the Kyle kid seems innocent. I know guilty…"

"Yeah, and if he was here working he couldn't possibly have done it anyway," Chloe mumbled, getting in the car and shutting her door, starting the engine. Lucifer hummed, getting in and giving her a disapproving glance.

"Seatbelt, Detective."

"Hypocrite," Chloe retorted, but she did stop to put her seatbelt on. And, after a moment of consideration, Lucifer did the same, offering her an innocent, cocky little smile as Chloe started driving. "Alright, so I guess… We head back to the precinct, check out the number Kyle gave us and see if we can get in touch with Tommy."

"Honestly sounds like we're dealing with some big-shot gang leader," Lucifer remarked, slightly amused now as he shook his head. "Or Mafia." Chloe just snorted, rolling her eyes.

"... You're not wrong."


	23. Chapter 23

Michael had to admit, and he hated to admit, Pierce was pretty strong. But, he wasn't stronger than the best fighter in Heaven, unfortunately. No, archangel Michael was stronger than even his oldest brother - And if his oldest brother could destroy Pierce in a fight, well, he didn't stand a chance against good old Mikey, huh? The archangel sighed, snapping the man's neck for about the fifth time and letting him fall to the ground, stepping back and shoving his hands in his pockets. His wings were ruffled and bloody - But most of the blood was Pierce's, to be fair - And yet, somehow, his white suit was left completely unharmed.

They'd been fighting for hours. It was already afternoon.

He blew his blonde hair out of his amber eyes, which were literally blazing with _fire_ , and looked down, eyes narrowing coldly as he waited for Pierce to get back up. And, only a few minutes later, he did, gasping. Michael braced himself to continue fighting, but to his surprise, the man stepped back and held his hands up in surrender.

"Giving in, are you?" Michael laughed breathlessly, eyes widening slightly almost in disbelief as he watched Pierce back away. The man's blue eyes were sparkling with nothing but pure rage, but he was holding himself back. "Come on, you pussy, you started the fight."

"If we keep fighting, it'll never end," Pierce snapped, squeezing his eyes shut and taking in another sharp, forced gasp of air and shaking his head. "We can't continue now. We have to go back to the precinct."

"And tell them, what, exactly?" Michael checked, looking Pierce over. Unfortunately for the man, his clothes weren't as spotless as Michael's - Ripped, and bloody, and torn. Like the rest of him. Pierce glared at him for a moment, looking down and narrowing his eyes slightly.

"That we were attacked."

"That's believable," Michael responded sarcastically. After a moment of consideration, the archangel sighed and walked forward, reaching out and pressing two fingers to Pierce's head. The moment he did, the wounds and blood were gone, as if the fight had never happened in the first place. Smirking, Michael folded his wings back and lifted his chin. "You're welcome."

"Fuck you," Pierce said simply, turning and walking back to the car. Michael laughed a bit at the anger radiating off of him.

"You offering?" He asked sweetly, following after him and getting in the passenger seat somewhat reluctantly. Pierce just huffed out a sigh and got in the driver's side, turning the car on and backing out of the alley, glancing behind him on occasion to make sure he didn't back into another car.

"You're more insufferable than Lucifer."

"Ouch," Michael mumbled, frowning faintly now as he glanced out the window. "Trust me, Sammy's a Hell of a lot worse."

"That's what you'd like to believe, isn't it?" Pierce responded blankly, though he seemed satisfied at the effect his words had had on Michael. The archangel snorted, then just kept silent, not wanting to give him any more satisfaction by answering than he already had, because the idiot didn't deserve it. "You've gotta realize, man, you're no better than him."

Michael blinked, immediately turning his glare to Pierce. To Hell with not responding - If Pierce genuinely believed that, he was setting it straight right then and there. "I _am_ better than him, and I always have been," he snapped, eyes beginning to flame up again. "Me and Samael are nothing alike."

"No." Pierce shook his head, keeping his gaze on the road. "The only difference between the two of you is that, somehow, you're way more narcissistic." Michael stared at him in complete disbelief for a moment, fury flickering through his amber eyes. After a moment, the archangel shook his head and looked away, hands curling into fists.

"Are we going back to the precinct."

"No. We're checking out the lead that I got. It's only afternoon, we still have time," Pierce grunted, satisfaction lacing his words as he gazed ahead.

"Great," Michael hummed, picking up the file he'd dropped at his feet and flipping it open. "So, what exactly is this lead of yours?"

Pierce sighed, going silent for a moment before shaking his head and responding. "The first person at the scene of the crime was one of Alexander's friends, Jackson Steve."

"His last name is a first name," Michael muttered, sticking his tongue out slightly and shaking his head. "I hate that."

Pierce gave him a look. "Just like Lucifer…"

Michael gritted his teeth, then simply slammed the file into Pierce's chest, snickering a little when the car swerved as the man snatched the file and threw it right back at him. "Shut up and drive, dick."

Pierce scoffed, narrowing his eyes and focusing on the road again. "Anyway, as I was saying, Jackson apparently fled the scene as soon as the authorities showed up, and nobody's heard from him since. But I did some digging, and apparently he's part of some secret gang."

"If it's secret, how do you know it exists?"

Pierce, once more, shot him a look, annoyance sparkling through his amber eyes. "I've managed to get their hideout location."

"Wooonderful," Michael hummed, turning his head to stare out the window. "Kids running around, starting gangs… Yeesh, Dad, I think it's time to send another flooooood," he hummed, chuckling a little to himself.

Pierce snorted at that. "Agreed…"


	24. Chapter 24

Lucifer smiled to himself as he followed Chloe into the precinct, his gaze trailing around, instinctively looking for his brother. His smile widened slightly when he realized Michael wasn't there - Still out there with Pierce, thankfully enough. Lucifer was honestly pleased that he hadn't really had any encounters with his older brother that day - Aside from the little moment that morning that had been interrupted by Pierce - Who, honestly, Lucifer was pretty sure Michael hated more than his brother hated him, possibly enough. Which would actually be great. If Michael hated Pierce, he'd probably have nothing against killing him… Or, maybe he would. Amenadiel had been adamant about keeping Pierce alive because it had been what God wanted.

Lucifer wouldn't be surprised if Michael was the same way. The second-born was probably more attached to their Father than even Amenadiel was - Hard to believe as it was, it was true. The Devil sighed, shaking his head. He'd have to think of something else, but if Pierce made Michael angry enough somehow… Michael had always let his emotions get the best of him, after all. His brother was pretty much one with emotions. Maybe he hid it better than Lucifer, but the Devil knew his older brother.

Clearing his throat, Lucifer stopped walking for a second, trying to recollect his thoughts. He realized with a start that Chloe was no longer beside him - She must have gone off to call the number Kyle had given them already. Leaving the Devil alone in the precinct… He'd seen Dan earlier, but he didn't seem to be there now. _That's right. Taking the spawn to the zoo,_ he remembered, nodding slightly and running his fingers through his hair, his gaze flickering around as he narrowed his eyes. Well, Chloe didn't really need him at the moment, and he had nothing else to do. No Dan or Pierce to annoy.

 _Miss Lopez,_ Lucifer hummed, then stopped completely, remembering earlier. The way she was talking about Michael, what she'd almost said, how she'd stumbled over her words and then left so abruptly. The anger that had been bubbling in the Devil before came rushing back, directed completely toward his older brother. He'd better not have brought Ella into all of this stupid angel crap. Lucifer didn't care how strong his brother was, he cared about the girl, and he didn't want her put in harm's way because Michael slipped up.

He was moving before he even realized what he was doing, heading for Ella's lab, teeth clenched. He shoved his hands into his pockets, pushing the door open with his foot and walking in wordlessly. The girl was studying something under her microscope, but she looked up when Lucifer entered, a surprised expression crossing her face before her usual warm grin appeared.

And that had Lucifer faltering. If Ella knew anything, she had to realize he really was the Devil. And remembering how terrified Linda had been of him when he showed her… Ella's warm greeting didn't make any sense to the Devil. And for a while, he hesitated, wondering if he should just excuse himself and leave. Because if she didn't know, and he said something about it first, he'd end up either having to explain or just confusing the poor girl even more. The Devil took a deep breath and looked away, clicking his teeth together hesitantly.

"... You good, Luce?" Ella checked, taking her gloves off and walking over to him, her wide, innocent eyes meeting the Devil's. Lucifer sighed, looking back down at her and narrowing his eyes faintly, confused.

" _And besides, I think the Devil gets a bad rap."_

The words rang in his head, clear as day, and Lucifer blinked, holding Ella's gaze easily. Of course. She was Ella. Sweet, sunshine-and-rainbows, see-the-good-in-everyone Ella. Even… the Devil. He tilted his head slightly at the girl, a small, hesitant smile tugging at his lips as he adjusted his jacket, clearing his throat and taking a deep breath. "You know, don't you?"

"Know… Oh!" Ella blinked, and glanced past him. But her own smile was appearing on her face, checking to make sure they were alone before looking back up at him and nodding. "Yeah, I know."

"What did he tell you?" Lucifer asked quietly, swallowing and trying to keep the anger out of his voice. " _Why_ , did he tell you."

"More like… Showed me?" Ella responded, sounding somewhat confused. Lucifer tilted his head, equally confused, and Ella shook her head and rushed to explain. "Uh, wings. Really, really pretty wings, actually. Like, wow… Hey, you have wings, right? I think Michael said you did…"

Lucifer sighed, shaking his head and rubbing his hand over his face, silent. "I do have wings, unfortunately," he mumbled, then shook his head again and forced himself to focus. "Miss Lopez-" He stopped, and took a deep breath before simply starting over. "Ella, why did he _show_ you his _wings_?"

"Well, in his defense, he didn't really mean to," Ella replied, eyebrows furrowing. "You're mad."

Lucifer hesitated, looking down at her. Yeah, she was still so innocent. Too innocent. And his mind raced, with images of her being in the same position as Linda, forced into the life she had no control over. The knowledge of the Divine forced into her head, becoming part of it, spun into the web she couldn't escape even if she wanted to. The danger she could be in, the pain she could endure, the fear, all of it. And it hurt - It actually, physically hurt to think of it. Because Ella… Well, Ella was his friend. More of a sister, really… More of a sister than his real ones had ever been. And she didn't deserve to be dragged into any of this, especially by _Michael_. The Devil exhaled, squeezing his eyes shut wordlessly.

"Hey," Ella piped up, and Lucifer jumped, a little startled when she reached out to touch his arm, squeezing gently. Luckily, it was his good arm, otherwise he'd be in immense pain right then. The Devil sighed and opened his eyes, looking down at the girl and tilting his head slightly, frowning. "Come on, Luce, what's the problem? Talk to me," she told him, offering her usual grin at him.

"I'm just… Very angry at my brother right now," Lucifer sighed, offering her a faint smile in return, but it faltered and fell away almost instantly as he glanced away. "You didn't deserve to be pulled into any of this, Miss Lopez."

"Pfft," Ella laughed a little, eyes widening in disbelief as she tilted her head to catch his gaze again. It worked - The movement instinctively drew Lucifer's eyes back to her, meeting her gaze warily as she spoke. "If it's any consolation, I think it's awesome. Even the whole Devil thing, y'know? I've always been a believer - Always. And being this close to it all, it's… It's amazing."

Lucifer shook his head. Leave it to Ella to try to find the positive side of this. "But you have no idea…" He trailed off. "You have no idea, the danger you could be in."

"Is it even any different from the danger I was already in?" Ella cocked her head to the side. "What does this change, Luce? Like I said, I've always known it exists. Just because I have personal connections to the Devil and his brother," she chuckled, eyes sparkling slightly with amusement. "Well, it shouldn't change much, because either way, I'm still your friend."

Lucifer blinked, staring down at her silently for a moment. Then, with a sigh, he simply pulled the girl into a tight hug, squeezing slightly. "You are a wonderful human, Miss Lopez."

Ella actually laughed a little at that, hugging him back just as tightly. "Thanks!" Lucifer just chuckled, staying silent for a moment before pulling away, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze before shoving his hands into his pockets. "And Lucifer? Don't be too mad at Michael, okay?"

"Oh, no, I'm bloody pissed," Lucifer admitted, shaking his head. "But, don't worry. I'd rather not get into it with him again," he huffed. Ella tilted her head at that, and stepped back suddenly to look him over, eyes narrowing slightly.

"I noticed you two aren't exactly, uh… Friendly," she remarked, suddenly reaching out and grabbing his bad arm. "And Chloe told me he hurt you, yeah?" She glanced up at him. The Devil tensed, staring at his arm warily, then looking back up at Ella and giving a small shrug in response.

"Little bit."

Ella nodded, letting his arm go and offering him a small smile. "Brothers, huh? Mine got pretty rough with me way back when, too. And with each other. At one point, we were at the hospital for a week because they got into a fight so bad that one of 'em went through a glass coffee table. Boys will be boys, and unfortunately, brothers are like… Your own personal bullies, am I right?"

"Sounds about right," Lucifer mused, shaking his head. His own personal bully - Sounded just like Michael.

"I'll set 'im straight, don't worry, Luce," Ella told him with a grin. "Just tell me if he gives you trouble, I'll make him sleep on the couch."

Lucifer blinked, extremely taken aback by that, and completely thrown off-guard. He shook his head a few times, looking down at her in pure confusion. "Wait, what?" He asked slowly. "What do you mean by that, Miss Lopez? Sleep on the couch?"

"Oh, yeah." Ella blinked. "Michael's gonna be staying with me for a while, until…" She trailed off, face falling slightly. "... Do you really have to leave?"

Lucifer blinked, deciding to bring up the whole Michael-staying-with-Ella thing later. The Devil shook his head, distracted. "That's the plan…"

"How long…?" Ella trailed off, frowning. "How long will you be gone, or… Or are you not…"

"I'm afraid that it might…" Lucifer took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Be a… Permanent situation, Miss Lopez." Ella grimaced, looking away for a moment, but eventually just sighed and nodded, this time pulling him into a hug. which Lucifer happily accepted, wrapping his arms around the girl and squeezing tightly. "For what it's worth, you're one of the people I'll miss most of all."

"I know," Ella murmured, staying exactly where she was for a minute or so before pulling away, patting him on the shoulder. "Hey… Luce, does…" She blinked, looking up at him. "Does anyone else know, that you're…"

"Doctor Linda," Lucifer told her, giving a small smile. "So if you actually do start freaking out about it, just remember she's another mortal who's been through exactly what you are right now."

Ella offered him an amused grin. "Yeah, okay." After a moment of silence, she started laughing. "Well, now I understand what you meant about your Dad being all-powerful, huh?"

"Indeed," Lucifer mumbled, smile fading as he shook his head. "All-powerful control freak."

"Don't give him such a hard time, Luce," Ella told him, tilting her head slightly. "Parenting's hard. Really hard. Especially when you've got, like…" She trailed off. "How many siblings do you have?"

Lucifer actually laughed a bit at that. "Too many to count, I'm afraid."

"Well, you get my point," Ella mused, patting his shoulder and turning away once more. "I know it doesn't feel like it, but He loves all of his children. Even the rebellious, angry ones that hate Him."

"Mm…" Lucifer trailed off, letting out a soft sigh and clearing his throat as he glanced away. "I should probably go see what the Detective is up to."

"Okie dokie…" Ella trailed off, and Lucifer turned to leave - But Ella spoke up again, stopping him. "Oh, wait!" Lucifer blinked, and paused, turning back around and tilting his head. Ella spun around and turned away, searching for something - She pulled a pink journal out of a box, quickly heading back over to Lucifer and flipping it open, mumbling to herself as she thumbed through the pages.

"What's this?" Lucifer questioned, taking a few steps forward and narrowing his eyes down at the journal.

"You remember the girl from the case you were working, Zoe Turner? This is a journal we got from her place. But when we found it, it was blank - Nothing was written inside, which, y'know, I thought was pretty weird. Then I realized it - _Invisible ink_ ," Ella told him, handing the journal over and heading off to get something else. "A little weird - Like, maybe she expected someone to find the journal, but it makes sense, y'know?"

"Indeed," Lucifer mumbled, a little impressed - Whether with Zoe or Ella, he wasn't sure yet. He looked up, watching Ella walk back over to him, this time holding a blacklight.

"So I took a look with this." Ella paused, reaching over to turn the light off before shining the light on the paper. It took a few moments for the message to appear, but when it did, Lucifer studied it intently, narrowing his eyes. It was a phone number - One he actually, vaguely recognized…

"Is that the only thing written down?" He asked slowly, memorizing the numbers with ease and looking back up. Ella turned the blacklight off and turned the light back on, nodding slightly at the Devil.

"Yep. Just that."

"I think I know who's number that might be," Lucifer mumbled. "I think it's connected to a case me and the Detective are working now. Has anyone questioned Zoe about it yet, or…"

"Nope," Ella replied, shaking her head. "She won't talk."

"Mm…" Lucifer took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Right, then… Thank you, Miss Lopez." He handed the journal back to her, then turned and left the room without another word, heading out to find Chloe. She was still on the phone, though, so Lucifer simply sat back in her chair and looked around for the paper Kyle had given them - When he found it, he picked it up and mumbled the numbers under his breath, nodding. Yep. Same number.

When Chloe hung up, she took the paper from him to write something else down on it. Lucifer sat back, looking up at her. "Remember Zoe Turner?"

"Mhm," Chloe hummed, seeming distracted.

"I believe she was involved with Tommy," Lucifer commented, eyes narrowing. "She had his number written down in invisible ink in her little diary."

Chloe glanced up, doing a double take and staring at him in confusion. "... So do you think it's connected?" She questioned, eyebrows furrowing. "Or just a coincidence that both Zoe and Liam were involved with the same guy?"

Lucifer shrugged in response. "Not quite sure, Detective. What did he say?"

"Not much. Dude's not a talker," Chloe mumbled, sounding faintly annoyed. "He did, however, agree to meet. We're going tomorrow, and we're bringing backup, because something's telling me not to trust this guy."

"Agreed," Lucifer sighed, letting his head fall back. "You know, you could just send me alone…"

"Lucifer," Chloe sighed. Lucifer just chuckled and fell silent, letting his eyes slip shut. He hadn't really meant to get as involved in this case as he was, but focusing on work was actually a great distracted from everything else that was going on. And he'd thought he'd liked the job before, simply because he could be with Chloe and punish the sinners - But he was starting to realize that maybe it was a little more than that.

Or, y'know, he could just be looking too closely. He wasn't sure yet.

* * *

Hours passed, and Lucifer was honestly pleasantly surprised when Michael and Pierce didn't arrive back at the precinct until way, way later, nearly at midnight. Neither of them seemed pleased in the slightest, and Michael actually looked rather relieved to leave Pierce's side. The annoyance on his brother's face made him want to laugh, but he reminded himself not to stare, not wanting to have to interact with his older brother right then. He had traded seats with Chloe to sit beside her while she looked up as much as she could about Tommy - Who they learned, was really named Thomas Wylde - But, surprisingly, there wasn't much about him at all.

"I don't get it," Chloe huffed, completely focused on the computer. "None of this makes any sense…" Lucifer hummed faintly in agreement, pausing and turning his head as Pierce passed him. The man glanced over at him, giving a small, subtle nod toward his office as he walked. Lucifer blinked, tilting his head faintly and pushing his chair back to get up. Chloe looked up at that, distracted. "Where you going?"

"Pierce wants to talk to me, apparently," Lucifer responded simply, stepping around the desk and following after the man, entering the office behind him. Pierce turned to face him, turning a pointed look toward the door, and Lucifer reluctantly turned to shut it behind him. "Something you need, darling?"

"Why is your brother here?" Pierce demanded, frustration lacing his words like venom, and Lucifer cocked his head toward the man, glancing over out the window of the office to look toward Michael, who had looked up and was now staring at the two from where he sat at his desk. Lucifer blinked, narrowing his eyes.

 _The enemy of my enemy is my friend…_ He turned back to Pierce. "To take me back to Heaven in a month. Did he not tell you?" He mused.

"He's getting on my nerves," Pierce growled. Then, after a moment, he narrowed his eyes, stepping toward Lucifer. "A month?" He demanded. "That's how long we have to- Are you even trying to help me, at this point, Lucifer?" He lowered his voice, blue eyes sparkling with frustration as he met Lucifer's gaze.

"Of course I am," Lucifer soothed, a grin appearing on his face. "And, I believe, I've found just the way to help you. Michael's Sword."

Pierce blinked, going silent for a moment. "Michael's Sword…" He repeated, eyes narrowing. "Do you think… That could kill me?" He looked up, focusing on Lucifer again. "It's definitely something I've never tried. But can you get that from him?" He demanded.

"Oh, Heavens no," Lucifer responded, taking a small step back and glancing back toward Michael, before focusing on Pierce again. "However, you two already seem at odds. I'm sure if you push the right buttons, he'll do it himself, willingly."

Pierce held his gaze for a moment before turning his head, glancing out the window toward Michael. "So if I just make him angry enough, he'll kill me with the Sword. For good," he mumbled, eyes narrowing. Lucifer nodded, and the man sighed, leaning back. "So how do I make him angry enough for that?"

"Michael's usually always angry. And you're… You. It shouldn't be too hard," Lucifer responded, giving his usual cocky-ass grin and turning his head, looking toward Chloe for a second. This was usually the time when she left, and, of course, Lucifer had to go with her. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be going. Good luck with my brother." With that, he turned and opened the door, walking out without waiting for a response.

He headed to Chloe, not even looking toward his older brother, but he felt Michael's gaze tracking him the whole way. He simply grinned as he approached the Detective, and she offered him a warm smile.

"Ready to go?"

"Indeed," Lucifer responded, following her out with a smile. He paused and glanced over when he passed Michael, finally holding his brother's gaze, and despite himself, he allowed his lips to tug into a slight smirk before looking ahead and continuing on his way, raising his head.


	25. Chapter 25

Michael didn't know whether to be angry, confused, worried or impressed when Lucifer smirked at him. It was a look he'd only seen reserved for his younger brother's greatest enemies - Like, Pierce - But it was a look that his younger brother had never been able to really throw at him. Maybe a part of him was impressed that his brother seemed to finally be manning up, but the rest of him was pretty pissed. Seemed Lucifer still needed to learn his place - And after the other day, you'd think he had. But Michael didn't have the time to mess with him right then, and he was going back with Chloe…

And, much as he hated to admit it, she was actually kind of scary. Even though, of course, Michael knew she couldn't hurt him - Though, he wouldn't put it past her to somehow find a way to do so. And she was Ella's friend, and a human, and, well, Michael had nothing against the humans. Except for one, annoying… Immortal one.

After he and Pierce had finished fighting, they'd driven all the way to where the gang hideout supposedly was. There, they met their supposed leader - Thomas, he called himself. He answered their questions with a complete face made of stone, his voice a pure monotone. The weird thing with him, honestly, was that Michael couldn't sense any emotion coming from him. It was all blank. Dull, empty. It kind of scared the archangel, to be honest.

Long story short, Thomas had told them that, yes, he'd been paid to have Alexander Miles killed by Jackson Steve - But that the guy that had paid him had pretty much dropped off the face of the earth once the job was done and nobody had heard from him since. Thomas had told them that Jackson had disappeared after dropping by to say the job was done. But, without a search warrant, Michael and Pierce couldn't go in to see if he was lying or not. Thomas had told them to leave, and he'd gone inside and locked the door on them. Michael had wanted to just break in, but Pierce had stopped him and dragged him off.

So now they were left searching for Jackson with absolutely _nothing_ , and it seemed even more impossible to find the guy who'd paid Thomas in the first place. And it was extremely frustrating. But… He had to push through it. His Father's orders. Besides, he got to see Ella every day, and that definitely more than made up for it… She really was a joy to be around. Pierce, Lucifer and Chloe? Not so much. Well - Actually, he didn't have much against Chloe, though she clearly didn't like him.

He sighed and sat back, but looked up when Pierce approached, raising his eyebrows at the man and leaning forward once more. "What do you want…"

Pierce gave him a frustrated look and cleared his throat before speaking. "Just to tell you what I've figured out. The gun used to kill Alexander Miles was found at another crime scene - Liam Hostwell, guy was stabbed. I'm thinking the same dude that killed Miles, killed Hostwell for whatever reason."

"Mm…" Michael sighed, nodding. "Okay. So the cases are connected."

"Yeah. I'll have Lopez check the gun for f-"

"I was summoned?"

Michael blinked, face lighting up instantly as he turned his head to watch Ella approach. The girl was grinning, eyes sparkling brightly as she skipped up to the two. Pierce narrowed his eyes, studying Michael for a moment before turning to Ella, giving her a nod. "Check the gun found at Liam Hostwell's house for fingerprints. See if you can match them to a Jackson Steve."

"Okie dokie," Ella hummed, then turned and grinned at Michael. "I'm heading home, you want a ride, Mike?"

"Hell yeah," Michael responded, jumping up instantly and winking at Pierce. "You don't need me, right, buddy boy? No? Good." With that, he headed over to Ella, ruffling her hair playfully and heading off. Ella gave a quick "goodbye" to Pierce and followed, reaching up to mess Michael's hair up in return.

"Hey," Michael chuckled, ducking his head and reaching up to fix his hair. He gave Ella a warm smile, which was returned easily. "Man, it's nice to see you. It's been _way_ too long."

"You just saw me this morning, angel boy," Ella snorted, pausing and pulling him to a stop to look around. "Okay, no one around."

"Hold on tight," Michael murmured, wrapping one arm around Ella, and the girl wrapped both around him. He spread his wings out, and Ella frowned slightly when she saw the blood on them, her eyes widening. But Michael gave her a slightly comforting smile. "Got into a fight, El. I'm fine," he promised.

"Would a band-aid work on angel wings?"

"Doubt it." Michael took a deep breath and held her close, closing his eyes, giving a gentle beat of his wings. When he opened them again, they were standing in Ella's living room - Or, he was standing, because he was holding Ella. She grinned up at him, and he set her down with a smile. "Easier way of transportation, isn't it?"

Ella laughed, rolling her eyes. "Definitely."


	26. Chapter 26

Two days.

Two days had passed since the cases had started. Much to Chloe and Lucifer's chagrin, they were eventually forced to work with Michael and Pierce, since they figured out the cases were connected. Dan had stepped out of the investigation, using his vacation days to spend more time with Trixie. The four of them continued the search for Jackson Steve, while slowly putting the pieces together about their victims. For instance, they'd went back to question Kyle, who had told them that Liam had a girlfriend named Zoe. They pressed further, with Kyle admitting that Liam had told him something about the girl's sister being a bitch, and Liam finding a way to help Zoe out of the situation that would involve "getting a little messy".

They'd gotten more information out of Zoe, who, after learning Liam was dead, had admitted that the two of them had planned Ashton and Liorah's deaths. But she insisted she knew nothing about Alexander. They questioned whether she knew if Liam had killed Ashton himself, but she told them he had "gotten an old friend to help out". Which led them right back to the gang. They'd brought Tommy in for questioning, and the man told them that, yes, Liam had come to him to have someone kill Ashton, and he'd sent Jackson. And then, Liam had come back asking for someone else to kill Alexander, stating he was learning too much.

And, so, Jackson was sent out to murder his next victim. He'd supposedly returned wounded, and after getting medical attention, he'd taken off. But that still left them with two things. Liam was dead, and they had no idea how that went down, and Jackson was still out there. At least, a few hours ago he was. Now, Lucifer and Michael stood in front of him, the interrogation room otherwise empty, and Lucifer was considering just intimidating the poor soul into giving them the information they needed.

They'd worked hard to get where they were, this little gnat wasn't going to ruin it so soon. Lucifer tilted his head toward his older brother, who returned the look, amber eyes sparkling contemplatively. After a moment, the archangel brushed past the Devil and walked over to the window, casually pulling the blinds down so that nobody else could see inside. Lucifer hummed, turning his gaze back to Jackson, who was growing increasingly nervous at that point, his wide eyes darting back and forth between Michael and Lucifer.

"Look, even if you don't tell us what we need to know, you're still going to jail. Your buddy Tommy's already told us that you murdered Ashton Reynolds and Alexander Miles," Michael said dryly, pacing back to Lucifer's side and staring Jackson down, amber eyes flickering with fire. "So you might as well fess up to killing your buddy Liam as well."

Jackson just stared at him, dead silent, his green eyes flickering coldly. He sank back wordlessly, crossing his arms and squeezing his eyes shut. Michael clicked his teeth together before looking over at Lucifer, and the Devil looked up, focusing on his older brother and tilting his head somewhat questioningly at the look Michael was giving him. But, he realized it, when his brother gestured to him and then nodded toward Jackson.

"Riiight," Lucifer cleared his throat and walked forward, slamming his hands down onto the table in front of Jackson. The man jumped, eyes snapping open and flying up to Lucifer's face. "Right, hello, yes. Tell me, Jackson…" He leaned forward, holding his gaze. "What do you desire, hm?"

Jackson blinked, his expression going from hostile to confused in an instant. His gaze held Lucifer's, eyes wide, and it took him a moment to be able to speak, seemingly trying to keep the words from being forced out. "I…" He trailed off, breathing a little heavier - Lucifer was impressed, he was resisting pretty well. "I just…"

"Go on, tell me what you want…" Lucifer growled, leaning a little closer and keeping his gaze locked with Jackson's. The man continued to resist, hesitating for a long, long time before finally spitting it out.

"I just wanted my money, man!"

"Ah, did you?" Lucifer lowered his chin, his voice dropping slightly as he kept his eyes rooted to Jackson's. "And when Liam refused to pay, you killed him, too. And then you ran, like a murderous, selfish, coward."

"That money was mine, and he wouldn't pay up. I was angry!" Jackson exclaimed, shaking his head. Lucifer nodded and leaned back, casting a smug glance toward Michael, who merely rolled his eyes in response. "So, yeah, I- I killed him, a'ight? Don't tell Tommy, dude. He'll be pissed."

"Oh, trust me. Tommy's not the one you're going to have to worry about," Lucifer assured with a chuckle, turning back to his older brother. "Well, there's our confession. Guess the case is officially closed."

"Thank _Dad_ ," Michael huffed, running his fingers through his blonde hair and rolling his eyes to the ceiling for a second. "That was agonizing. Really don't understand how you work this job, Sammy. Not one bit."

"It's not all bad. Oh… One more thing, though. I need to talk to you, later. Alone." With that, Lucifer shoved past his older brother and threw the door open, leaving the room. He heard a small hum of acknowledgement from Michael as he followed, the door shutting behind them easily, and he turned to head over to Chloe. The Detective was seated at her desk, going through papers, but she looked up when Lucifer and Michael approached.

"Did you get him to spill?"

"Yup. One criminal ready to be slammed behind bars, courtesy of your favorite Detective Devil," Lucifer replied proudly, earning a smack on the back of his head from Michael. Lucifer flinched, catching the glare Chloe shot his brother's way, but he intervened before Chloe could bring herself into it, giving Michael a faintly annoyed look before glancing away. "And his asshat brother, I suppose."

"Wow-" Michael started, but paused when a familiar voice broke into the conversation. Or, at least, familiar to Lucifer.

"Hey, bitches!"

"Mazikeen!" Lucifer exclaimed gleefully, immediately turning to face his friend. Maze grinned as she approached, idly spinning a blade in one hand and dragging along some terrified-looking dude with the other. She tossed the guy at some random cop as she passed, brushing her hand off on her shirt. "You're back, wonderful. Did you have fun?"

"As always," Maze replied easily, tilting her head and focusing her gaze on Michael. After looking him up and down for a moment, she spoke. "Who's the new guy? He's hot."

"... And uncomfortable," Michael mumbled, sliding a step back and fixing the demon with a wary stare, amber eyes narrowed. Maze just grinned, running her tongue across her lips seductively and finishing it off with a wink before turning back to Lucifer expectantly. The Devil paused, gaze flickering from Michael to Maze and back again. Part of the reason he hadn't just called in Maze to track down Jackson was because he wanted his brother and the demon as far apart as possible, but… So much for that.

"Mazikeen, this is my brother, Michael," Lucifer finally sighed, turning his gaze to Maze. The demon's smile fell immediately, expression changing drastically as she stared at Lucifer, then turned her cold brown eyes to Michael. At that point, "uncomfortable" had turned into "slightly terrified". "Now, before you-"

Too late. Maze literally shoved Lucifer aside, grabbed Michael by the front of his shirt, and turned around, proceeding to literally just drag his now probably _extremely_ terrified brother off. Lucifer opened his mouth, then just decided against it and turned back to Chloe. "That probably won't end well."

"No, it'll end great. Your brother is about to get his ass handed to him by a girl," Chloe scoffed, standing up and brushing herself off. Lucifer hummed softly in acknowledgement and looked away, letting his gaze trail around. "Well, I'm gonna tell Pierce about Jackson's confession and head home, Dan's dropping Trixie off in a few hours," she told Lucifer, pausing and looking up at him. "You need a ride?"

"No, I suppose I have to stop Mazikeen from killing Michael before I can tell him off myself," Lucifer mused, offering her a small smile. "I know where your house is, Detective, I'll be fine." After a moment, his smile faded. "Since Mazikeen is back, do you think me and Amenadiel should go back to the penthouse?"

"Would it be safe?" Chloe narrowed her eyes, glancing after Maze and Michael. Lucifer thought about that for a moment.

"I doubt Michael will be in the mood to mess with anyone after Maze is finished with him," he finally responded, once more smiling at her. "I'll stop by to pick Amenadiel up when I leave here." He tilted his head, chuckling. "Thank you for letting us stay there, by the way."

"Of course, Lucifer," Chloe replied, glancing away. Lucifer looked over, watching Pierce walk out of his office, and stepped back as the man headed over to them. He kept his smile on, despite wanting to punch Pierce in the face from the way Chloe smiled at the man the moment he approached, rage and jealousy boiling up once more.

"I'll leave you two alone," he managed to keep a calm, neutral tone as he turned and walked off. He didn't have much else to do now that Maze had taken Michael, but he did need time to prepare himself before he went off on his brother. So, instead, he headed toward Ella's lab, shrugging the door open. "Miss Lop- Miss Lopez? Odd, I could've sworn she was…" He trailed off, glancing around. The lab was empty, Ella was nowhere to be seen. Lucifer frowned, edging back a little and glancing inside once more to look around more thoroughly before shutting the door and turning away, pulling his phone out to call Ella.

After a few rings, it went to voicemail. The Devil frowned, dropping his hands back to his sides and narrowing his eyes at the floor, thoughtful. But, after a moment, he brushed it off. She probably just took the day off early and went home, maybe she was already talking to someone on the phone… Whatever the reason, he was sure she was fine.

He wasn't going to intervene with Michael and Maze, but after a moment, he decided he probably should. So, in an instant, he unfolded his wings, the precinct being replaced with, surprisingly enough, Lux. Flying was faster, and he needed to be fast to stop his brother from being violently carved like a Jack-O-Lantern. Maze had one of her blades to Michael's throat, and his older brother was doing his best to hide the fear, eyes narrowed down at it wordlessly. He glanced up when Lucifer appeared.

"Call your demon off."

"Let him go, Maze, I need to speak with him before you gut him like a fish," Lucifer sighed. Maze let out an indignant huff, but she shoved Michael away from her and stepped back, dropping the blade to her side. Michael smirked slightly to himself and straightened up, starting to brush himself off.

But that smug smirk was wiped from his face immediately when Lucifer suddenly stormed forward, and, without warning, slammed his fist into Michael's face with enough force to literally send his older brother flying back, crashing into his piano. Which, Lucifer internally cursed himself for, he'd just gotten that fixed, too.

Wasting no time, he strode forward, wings bristling as Michael pushed himself to his feet, seeming stunned. Lucifer simply threw him back again, this time into a wall, and walked forward to grab him by the throat, yanking him down to his level. "Let's talk about Miss Lopez, shall we?"


	27. Chapter 27

Michael seemed… Well, to put it simply, stunned. And Lucifer? Well, Lucifer was pissed. All the rage he'd shoved down was bursting out, eyes blazing red with rage as he pinned his brother to the wall, his hand clasped firmly around Michael's throat. The archangel looked confused, impressed, pissed and slightly afraid all at once. Probably because he'd never seen Lucifer this angry before. Lucifer had been angrier, admittedly, but Michael had never seen it. Not even when he led the rebellion against God. No, this was pure, unmasked rage.

And Lucifer knew damn well his brother would be able to sense it.

"Lopez?" Michael finally managed to spit the name out, writhing slightly and grabbing Lucifer's wrist with both hands, trying and failing, surprisingly, to yank him off. Lucifer just shoved harder, digging his fingers into the sides of Michael's throat and glaring at him. "Wh- What about her? Is she okay?"

"Oh, no, she's fine, I'm sure," Lucifer spat. "My problem is that your dumbass self showed off your wings and dragged her into all of this. Didn't dear old Dad ever tell you that humanity and Divinity didn't mix, or did you skip over that in class?" He seethed, yanking his brother forward and throwing him to the side, into another wall. He spun around, but he didn't move forward, practically shaking with rage. "You're going to put her in _danger_ , you idiot!"

"What the _Hell_ are you talking about?!" Michael exclaimed, shoving himself away from the wall and stepping toward his brother, only to step back again when Lucifer literally snarled at him, eyes blazing. "Look, I didn't mean to drag her into anything! By the time I realized it, it was too late, okay? I didn't want her to know, obviously!"

"You shouldn't have even been with her in the first place, your bloody moron!" Lucifer retorted, taking a few steps forward. Michael blinked, glancing back over his shoulder for a second. "Do you have any idea what you've done?! The last human that was exposed to this nearly _died_ , and even Chloe paid a price and she doesn't even believe me!" He let out a mirthless laugh, continuing forward until he was directly in front of his older brother. "That's bad enough! But bringing _Ella_ into all of this?! She never asked for this, and now you've pulled her into the middle of something you can't take back! What would _Dad_ say, huh?"

Michael flinched slightly despite himself, amber eyes never leaving Lucifer's. "When have you _ever_ cared about what _Dad_ would say?" He finally asked, but there was no real venom in his words, his voice quiet for the first time.

"I don't!" Lucifer snapped. "But _you_ do, and you'd think that maybe _you'd_ give a crap that you've blatantly disobeyed Him by having a connection with a mortal!"

"I didn't mean to get attached, okay?!" Michael finally raised his voice at his brother, but seeing as he hadn't tried to attack him back, it was probably the most he was going to do right then. "I didn't _mean_ to bring her into any of this! You think I want this for her? I'm terrified, man!"

"Well, you should be!" Lucifer shook his head, running his fingers through his hair and turning away. "I mean, who the Hell knows what dear old Dad's going to do? She _knows_ we exist, Michael, and He's always been against that! And forming an attachment?! He might take that as some kind of threat, his best fighter becoming attached to mortals!" He spun around again to face him. "What if He decides to get rid of her, huh?"

Michael just stared at him, but his eyes had widened considerably, a horrified look flickering through his amber gaze. "He wouldn't…"

"Oh, for the love of- It's _Dad,_ Michael! He sent Uriel to kill Chloe!" Lucifer retorted.

"Because you went back on a deal, that was different!" Michael argued, his eyes hardening once more. "He wouldn't do that, she's _innocent_!"

"Would He really see it that way?" Lucifer snapped. "Think about it, Michael. You're the best soldier Heaven's got - Hell, you lead the bloody armies! Dad can't afford to lose that, meaning if there's even the smallest possibility that you even want to _consider_ leaving Heaven to be down here, he's going to want to eliminate it _immediately_!"

Michael opened his mouth, but faltered, falling silent. At that point, he was breathing much more heavily, and it wasn't because they'd been fighting. No, Lucifer could see the clear panic in his eyes, and it threw him off for a second, admittedly enough, because he'd never seen his brother scared like that before. After a moment, the archangel shook his head and stepped back. "Well what am I supposed to do? It's too _late_."

" _Stay away from her_ ," Lucifer hissed. "Before you get her into something she doesn't _deserve_ to get into. She should be living a happy life, she doesn't need to be worrying about _you_ or _Dad_ or any of it."

"I can't do that," Michael mumbled, looking down for a moment. "I-"

"No. Shut up," Lucifer interrupted, his eyes sparking up again. "I don't want to hear about any of that " _I can't do that"_ crap, you _clod_." He took a deep breath. "You're _going to_ stay away from her, or I _will_ kick your ass." He spun around and walked toward the elevator without another word, forcing his wings back and folding them out of sight easily, tucking them back into his shirt and letting out a low sigh. When he got into the elevator and turned around, Michael was gone.

"I didn't get to kick his ass," Maze huffed, throwing her blade across the room.

"All in good time, Maze," Lucifer growled, pressing a button and stepping back. "All in good time."


	28. Chapter 28

The next day, things are actually back to normal for a while. At least, the new normal Lucifer had gotten used to - And only at first. He'd brought Amenadiel back to Lux and Maze had gone back to Chloe's. Lucifer had stayed up the night before cleaning up the mess he'd made, as well as the mess that had been left during his and Michael's previous fight, before, that had ended… Well, bloody. Lucifer wasn't planning on going in to the precinct that day, actually. He was going to stay home working on the penthouse. Amenadiel was on the couch, gaze fixed on the TV (despite it being off), and Lucifer was sweeping up the broken glass, trying to ignore the rage that was still simmering _deeply_ inside.

He hoped for Michael's sake, that his brother took his advice. Because, yes, Lucifer was pissed, and he didn't care how terrifying Michael was anymore, he didn't care how strong. He'd stab him with his own sword, if it came to it, but he was not going to allow Ella to be put in danger because of Michael. Lucifer was also now trying to keep his distance from Chloe and Linda - And Ella, even though he still hadn't heard from the girl… Come to think of it, he never did get to speak with her yesterday.

The Devil huffed, dumping some of the broken glass into the trash before simply flinging both the broom and dustpan across the room, kicking the counter and resisting the urge to outright punch the wall in his rage. Maybe it was a bit hypocritical of him to be so angry with Michael. And maybe it was more to do with the fact that Lucifer didn't trust Michael at all. Not with Ella. Not at all. He was a dick, and he definitely didn't deserve her. Hell, nobody did. Lucifer knew that for a fact, Ella Lopez was too good for anyone, and he had to protect her. Because, again, she was like a sister to him, a little sister, and she deserved someone to protect her from stupid, rude asshats like _Michael_.

"Luci, you need to calm down…"

"Don't," Lucifer said simply, walking over and picking up the now broken broom, and then just throwing it across the room again. "Oh, bloody Hell!"

"Lucifer. Seriously," Amenadiel insisted, standing up and walking over to his younger brother now. Lucifer just glared, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking up at his oldest brother. "You need to relax. This isn't good for you. If you're that worried about Ella, call her. Or go talk to her. Actually, that's a better idea. Get out of here. Seriously."

Lucifer gave him a look, glancing back at the bar, but looking back at Amenadiel when his brother shook his shoulder firmly to get his attention. "I'm kicking you out of your own penthouse, Lucifer. Get the Hell out before I hit you."

"Fine. But _only_ because I want to check on Miss Lopez and the Detective. Not because you told me to," Lucifer huffed, shrugging his brother's hand off and looking away. After a moment of contemplation, he ended up just spreading his wings out and stepping back, giving a slight nod to his brother before looking up. In just a simply, soft _whoosh_ of his wings, he was outside the precinct. The wings folded back behind him immediately, dusting his shirt off calmly and glancing around to ensure he was alone before simply heading inside, clearing his throat. Michael, surprisingly, wasn't at his desk, and Chloe wasn't at hers, either. He did see Pierce sitting in his office, smiling to himself for once, but decided to check back on that in particular later on.

He headed toward Ella's lab, pushing the door open wordlessly. Well, Michael was in there, and Chloe was in there, and they were looking around, moving items around and seemingly searching for something. Michael looked up, and his expression changed briefly when he saw Lucifer. Which only made the Devil more suspicious, and extremely concerned. He turned to Chloe, who had glanced up, but went right back to searching almost instantly. "Detective, what's going on?"

"Have you heard from Ella recently?" Chloe questioned, finally looking up and staring at him with wide, concerned eyes. "I haven't heard from her since yesterday, and she's just… Gone. It's not like her to just disappear. Michael checked her place already, and she's not there either. And she didn't leave a note…" She exhaled, pushing herself away from one of the desks. "I'm worried."

Lucifer tensed, his heart stuttering and seeming to stop for a second before taking off at full speed. The first thing he did was turn his stare to Michael, cold and accusing, but he faltered when he saw the look of pure anguish and terror in his older brother's amber eyes. It wasn't like Michael to show emotion like that, to actually look as afraid and concerned as he did, and it almost made him feel _slightly_ sympathetic for his brother. But, he decided against dwelling on that too much, pulling his phone out to call Ella wordlessly.

"We already tried…" Chloe sighed, turning away and going back to looking around. "She might've left a note or something, it's just- So cluttered in here…" She trailed off. Michael just shook his head, burying his face into his hands and taking a deep, slightly shaky breath, holding it. Lucifer resisted the urge to throw his phone at the wall when it went to voicemail, grinding his teeth together so hard it was almost painful.

" _Dammit_ ," he hissed, turning his gaze to the ceiling for a moment before looking away, taking a breath and trying to control the anger. "Has anyone tried tracking her phone?"

"Not yet, that- That's a good idea, actually." Chloe immediately brushed past him, and Lucifer stepped to the side slightly to let her go. After a long, long moment of silence, he turned slowly to stare at his older brother, who still had his face pressed into his hands, fingers tangled into his blonde hair. Finally, though, Michael jerked back and let his arms fall to his sides, looking up and meeting Lucifer's gaze.

"Go ahead. Say it," he hissed. "Say you were right, now Ella's in danger, and it's probably all my fault, right? Right? Come on, we both know you wanna say it."

"We don't know that for sure," Lucifer mumbled, honestly kind of sympathizing despite himself. He was worried, too - And if this was Chloe? Yeah… Lucifer knew where his brother was coming from. Didn't make him any less pissed, but it did stop him from attacking him again right then and there. "We can deal with this after we know Miss Lopez is safe. And she _better be safe_." At the last words, his gaze rolled to the ceiling, his expression hardening almost warningly, hands curling into fists at his sides. "You hear me, _Dad_? She's done nothing but _worship_ your sorry ass, I swear she better be safe," he growled.

Michael stayed silent for a moment, gazing at his brother, but eventually turned away, rubbing a hand over his mouth and squeezing his eyes shut. "Do you think He did this?" He finally managed. "Do you think He…"

"I don't _know_ ," Lucifer snapped, turning and leaving the room without another word. He called Ella again, putting the phone to his ear as he walked, but he stopped short when he heard ringing. And not coming from his phone, no, from nearby. He lowered the phone a little and turned, glancing around silently before following the sound. It led him to Pierce's office - And, assuming he'd just gotten a phone call, he turned to leave.

The phone went to voicemail, and the ringing stopped. For a while, it was silent. Then, slowly and somewhat hesitantly, he called again. The moment he did, the ringing started up once more, and Lucifer turned back, pushing the door open and walking into the office. Pierce wasn't inside anymore - Lucifer wasn't sure where he was. But he followed the ringing all the way to Pierce's desk, staring at one of the locked drawers for a moment. And… Caution be damned. He slammed his fist into the drawer, breaking through easily, and narrowed his eyes, yanking it open from the inside. He pulled his hand free and reached in again, taking in a slightly unsteady breath when he pulled out Ella's phone.

His eyes hardened, staring down at it wordlessly before hanging up his own phone and dropping it back into the now-broken drawer, slamming it shut wordlessly and leaving the room. He slammed the door shut behind him, looking around, but Pierce was nowhere to be found this time. _Oh, I'll find you, Cain,_ the Devil vowed silently, eyes sparking red for a moment, but quickly returning to normal when he saw Chloe walking up to him.

"It says she's here. She must have left her phone behind…" Chloe trailed off and shook her head, looking up at Lucifer. She looked just as worried as Michael had - Well, no, Michael had actually seemed petrified. Probably just because of the possibility that God was behind this, though. Chloe was worried, concerned for her friend, just as much as Lucifer was. For a moment, he considered telling her about the phone being in Pierce's office, but decided against it for now. She wouldn't believe he had the ability to do anything like that, anyway, what was the point? I mean, Hell, even he was having second thoughts, considering the possibility that he simply found her phone and put it in his office. "Do you think she's okay?"

"... I don't know, Detective. I hope so," Lucifer admitted, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "We'll find her, though, I can promise you that." He stood still for a moment, staring past her in silence. He kept his gaze where it was even after Chloe had walked away - Toward Dan, probably to fill him in. Lucifer stayed exactly where he was, mind racing. If Pierce really had done something with Ella… The Devil growled, looking down and curling his hands into fists. He wouldn't put it past him - The man had killed his own brother, for Dad's sake… Taking Ella - Or worse, but Lucifer didn't want to think about that - Wouldn't be too far of a stretch.

But _why_? Why _Ella_? Ella had never done anything wrong to anyone, much less Pierce. And, honestly, Lucifer was pretty sure the man actually tolerated Ella. There was no reason for Pierce to hurt her - Or, again, worse - Was there? The Devil frowned a little to himself, clicking his teeth together and squeezing his eyes shut. He could only hope that wherever she was, Ella was safe.

 _Listen up, you bastard,_ he started, opening his eyes again and glancing up. _Ella is one of the best mortals on this sorry planet, and she doesn't deserve any of this. I know, I know, death doesn't discriminate - I don't care. She'd better be safe, dammit, because if she's not… I'll make sure my plans don't fail this time, yeah? Last time, I wasn't really trying._ He gritted his teeth. _You wouldn't like to see what I'd manage to do if I truly wanted to. So keep Miss Lopez safe. She doesn't deserve any of this._

He jumped a little when someone nudged his shoulder, glancing over to see Michael beside him. His older brother looked at him helplessly, then glanced up at the ceiling. "S'no use. I tried," he mumbled, then looked away again, amber eyes flickering uncertainly.

Again, a small twinge of sympathy, and Lucifer hated it. The Devil sighed, shaking his head and glancing up at his older brother, then looked away again. "We'll find her. Until then… Come here." He turned away, heading back toward Pierce's office, and stepped inside wordlessly, walking over to the desk. Michael followed, looking confused as Lucifer yanked the broken drawer open and pulled Ella's phone out, holding it up for Michael to see.

His brother's expression changed immediately, recognizing it in just one glance. "That's Ella's…"

"Yeah. I know. I swear, I'm gonna murder him," Lucifer growled, dropping the phone and shoving the drawer shut again, leaning forward and putting his hands on Pierce's desk to keep himself up a little, leaning toward his brother and starting to speak, but he faltered. Because Michael… Michael looked more pissed now than Lucifer had ever seen him. He wasn't even looking at him, eyes on the desk, amber eyes literally flickering with flames as he gritted his teeth together. It was enough to make Lucifer lean back, anger immediately dissolving into slight fear, wariness, caution, his eyes narrowing as he stared at his brother.

He realized it, realized _why_ , when Michael finally looked up, flaming eyes meeting Lucifer's. "Not if I murder him first, Sammy."


	29. Chapter 29

Michael, honestly, had never felt so angry in his life. Over anything. This? This anger hurt. The rage… but not only that, no. He was terrified, downright _terrified_. And that hurt too. His chest, it was practically exploding on the inside. He wanted to hit something, or someone - Preferably Pierce, actually - But Pierce wasn't there. Lucifer was there, but… Somehow, Michael didn't want to take this out on his younger brother. He just wanted to find Ella, he just wanted to make sure she was safe. And then? Then he wanted to bash Pierce's head into a wall, because yeah, he could now.

"Why would he do this?" Michael asked quietly after a moment, rage and terror making his voice shake as he finally met his brother's gaze again. Lucifer looked wary, but seemed to relax when he realized Michael was mostly keeping himself calm for the time being. "Why go after her? Why _her_?"

"... To make you angry," Lucifer mumbled, eyes narrowing with the realization. Michael stared at him in confusion for a moment, but it quickly turned into understanding when Lucifer continued. "Pierce wants… To die. And…" He trailed off, looking down for a moment. "I fear that… This… Might be my fault. I told him your Sword would, theoretically, be able to kill him, and he just had to get you angry. But I never assumed he would…" He trailed off, gritting his teeth.

Michael didn't know who to be pissed at at that point. After a moment, though, he just shoved himself back and rubbed a hand down his face, taking a deep breath and resisting the urge to punch his brother. "What the _fuck, Samael_?!" He finally snarled, slamming his hand down onto the desk and looking up to fix Lucifer with a glare. His younger brother visibly flinched, but he held his ground.

"Remember, now, brother you're the one that got attached. Pierce wouldn't have even done this if you hadn't gotten close in the first place," Lucifer snapped. "Can we agree that we're both at fault here and focus on the bigger picture?"

Michael continued to glare for a moment before shaking his head and turning his gaze away, looking out the window for a second and narrowing his eyes. "Do you think he killed her?" He asked quietly after a moment, rage lacing his words. Lucifer hesitated slightly before just giving a slow, helpless shake of his head.

"I… I couldn't say, Michael, I don't know his intentions," he mumbled, looking up at the ceiling for a second. Michael clicked his teeth together, fury and fear battling inside as he fought to keep himself calm. But, wow, he'd never felt anything like this before and it was _hard_ to control. He'd felt it from other people before, but it was much different firsthand. The archangel sucked in a sharp breath and looked up, focusing his amber gaze on his younger brother and shoving his hands into his pockets.

" _Cain_ wants to die, huh?" His voice dropped, going dead quiet as he forced a neutral tone. Lucifer seemed more nervous from that than he had when Michael was yelling, but he nodded. Michael chuckled dryly, spinning around. "Then he's dying, alright. But I'm making sure Ella's alive before I do anything. No reason to end his suffering so soon if she's dead, am I right?" He seethed, storming out of the room. Lucifer hummed quietly in agreement, following after him and falling into step with him easily.

"Where's the fire?" Chloe questioned as they both started to leave the precinct. Lucifer paused, and reached out to grab Michael's arm, surprisingly, pulling him to a halt. The archangel glanced back at his younger brother, who tilted his head toward Chloe, then cast a quick glance back toward Pierce's office.

"Have you seen Pierce?" Michael grumbled, reluctantly turning to Chloe. The Detective stared at him for a moment with obvious distrust, and stayed silent, seeming to think about that for a moment.

"Not since this morning…"

"You know what? Fuck it. I'm done. I know an easier way." Michael stepped back, amber eyes blazing much, much brighter than before. At that point, he didn't even care that Chloe was there - He was only worried about Ella, about killing Pierce and finding her. Lucifer seemed to realize what he was about to do, because he immediately stepped forward, eyes widening in alarm.

"Michael-"

"I said I'm _done, Samael_!" Michael interrupted, raising his voice. And with that, he spread his wings out and left. Thankfully enough, he was able to sense exactly where Pierce was - And, while confused as to why he couldn't sense Ella, he brushed it off quickly. But he didn't go to where Pierce was - Not just yet. Instead, he went straight to where he'd stored all his weapons - Ella's basement, actually. He kicked the other blades and daggers aside and picked the sword up, turning it over in his hands and staring down coldly for a long, long time.

Then, taking a deep breath, he turned away. When he'd turned completely around, he was in a completely different place. A dark place, to be more exact. Where was only a little bit of light around him, not enough to be able to see anything. But his eyes flamed up with ease, fire flickering in his pupils and lighting up the area as he turned to look around. "Come on, Cainy, I know you're here. This is what you want, isn't it?!" He yelled, taking a deep breath. "Come on, then, come get what you want!"

"Finally. Thought it'd take you a little longer to put the pieces together."

Michael tensed, grip on the sword tightening and turned around. His amber gaze met Pierce's blue ones, a strange satisfaction glittering through his eyes as the man walked forward, his face as stone-cold as ever as he approached. Michael didn't say anything, didn't move, holding his gaze with ease as he stopped in front of him. "Let's cut right to it, then, huh? You stab me clean through the chest with that, and I'll tell you exactly where your girlfriend is."

"Or I can just torture it out of you," Michael sneered, fury flashing through his eyes as he stepped forward and grabbed Pierce by the shirt, yanking him up and pulling the blade of the sword up against Pierce's throat. The man narrowed his eyes, raising his head. "Why let you off easy, huh?"

"Easy. I won't tell you where Ella is until I _know_ I'm dying for sure," Pierce growled, lowering his voice a little. "So go ahead and torture me, but until that blade is through my heart? You're not getting any information."

"I'll hold you to that," Michael growled, eyes lighting up once more. "Dick." He shoved Pierce back, dropping the sword and grabbing him by the shirt, slamming him into the wall. "Hey, didn't I say I wanted to do this?" He sneered, tangling his fingers into Pierce's hair and slamming his head back into the wall.

Pierce just chuckled, completely still. Michael stared for a moment before throwing him to the ground, kicking his sword away and walking forward. "Hey, how about this. I'm not killing you until it's a fair fight, huh? Get your sorry ass up and fight me."

"So you're not going to kill me until I fight you?" Pierce snorted, pushing himself to stand. He shook his head, blood trickling down the side of his face now as he took a slightly unsteady step forward, his blue eyes dark as they held Michael's amber ones. "Fine then, angel, I'll fight."

" _Good_ ," Michael breathed, spreading his wings out and bracing himself. When Pierce lunged and swung, he was ready for it. He grabbed the man's fist and dodged another hit from the other hand, spinning Pierce around and snapping his arm back, grinning in satisfaction as he heard the bones crunch. Pierce just grunted before slamming his arm back, elbowing the archangel right in the face and causing his grip to weaken.

"See, the thing is, I really, _really_ want to die," Pierce growled, spinning around and slamming his fist into Michael's face, this time more forcefully than he had a few days ago. It was enough to make the archangel stagger, wings bristling now. "And if putting up a good fight is what it takes, well, then, I'll fight with everything I have."

"Good for you," Michael chuckled and lunged, one of his wings lashing out, sweeping the man's feet from under him and causing him to fall back. However, Pierce grabbed a handful of feathers as he did, ripping them right out of the archangel's wings, and Michael bit back a sharp yell of pain, doubling over immediately. Pierce scrambled to his feet, eyebrows raising.

"Ooh, weak spot," the man muttered, blue eyes glittering with malice. "There we go, that'll make this a lot better."

Michael growled, glancing up and straightening up once more. "Well." He leaned back, the fire in his eyes burning brighter. "At least I can enjoy crushing you like a bug now."


	30. Chapter 30

Lucifer had wanted to kick his brother's ass many, many times before, and he'd even wanted to kill him a few times. But this? Staring at the look of pure terror and confusion on Chloe's face as the Detective stared at where Michael had previously been standing, Lucifer genuinely wanted to murder his brother in cold blood. He stayed where he was, watching her carefully, eyes wide and concerned as he waited for her to process. She was mumbling under her breath, something along the lines of "It's all true", but Lucifer couldn't really hear all that well. The Devil took a deep breath and took a few steps back - Unfortunately bringing Chloe's attention back to him. Lucifer froze for a second, staring into her wide, disbelieving, terror-filled eyes, but managed to force himself to speak. "... Are you alright?"

"Wh…" Chloe's voice shook slightly as she trailed off, shaking her head vigorously and burying her face into her hands. The Detective took a deep breath, literally shaking, before finally forcing herself to look up, focusing on Lucifer. "It's all true? He's- He's- And you're… You're Lucifer, and…"

"That _is_ what I've been trying to tell you," Lucifer managed, rushing into an explanation. "I _am_ the Devil, Detective, but you already knew that, didn't you? And Michael - He's an angel. Archangel, actually, but… And I know this is a lot to take in, but Pierce _is_ Cain - From the Bible, world's first murderer, blah, blah, blah, and he took Miss Lopez to piss Michael off so that Michael would kill him with the Sword which is probably the only thing that can kill him and I… I'm not… Helping…" He trailed off.

Chloe stayed silent for a long time, eyes flickering uncertainly with the new information. Finally, she took a deep breath and swallowed, shaking her head and forcing herself to focus. "Ah… Wh… Ella…" She trailed off, clearing her throat. "I need… I need to get to Ella…" She paused, looking up at him. "Do you… Can you…"

"Teleport? Fly? Yes," Lucifer mumbled uncertainly, shaking his head. "But I don't know where Miss Lopez is, and I… surprisingly can't sense her at all." He hesitated, staring at Chloe uncertainly. The Detective didn't reply for a moment seemingly still trying to recover from everything she'd just learned.

"Cain… Michael…" She exhaled, looking up once more. "Okay, then, uh, we need… To get to… To Pierce and… Michael…" She hesitated, looking Lucifer up and down as the realization struck. "You… You're really the… the Devil…"

"Chloe," Lucifer lowered his voice, his gaze meeting hers. "You know me. You trust me, don't you? Yes, I'm the Devil, but I've never lied to you about that. And I've never hurt you, and I never would."

That helped Chloe relax a little bit, seemingly. She nodded, taking a deep breath and holding it, silent for a long, long time before letting the breath out slowly and taking a few steps toward Lucifer, who stared back at her in silence, eyebrows furrowing in concern as he watched her. "Okay," she whispered. "Take… Take me to… Pierce."

"... Are you sure?" Lucifer asked slowly, eyebrows furrowing. Chloe just nodded, and Lucifer hesitated, standing still for a moment before reaching out to touch her shoulder. Surprisingly, Chloe didn't flinch - She actually relaxed as soon as he made contact, and stared with wide eyes as he reluctantly spread his wings out, looking up and closing his eyes. "Might want to close your eyes, Detective."

He waited a moment, and when Chloe gave his arm a squeeze to tell him she was ready, he gave a soft _whoosh_ of his wings, opening his eyes. He immediately wrapped one of the wings around Chloe, pulling her back when he saw Michael and Pierce fighting. His brother was obviously winning. And Lucifer watched, wide eyed, as Michael snatched the abandoned Sword up off the ground and slammed his wings into Pierce's legs, knocking him back. And when he was flat on the ground, he raised the sword and brought it down.

It sliced right through Pierce's chest, and the man sucked in a strangled gasp. Chloe flinched, turning and burying her face into Lucifer's shoulder, shaking, and Lucifer wrapped his arms around her as well, watching his brother. Michael yanked the sword out and knelt down beside Pierce, leaning in close. Lucifer couldn't hear what they were saying, but judging by the look of relieved satisfaction on Michael's face, he had to assume Pierce told him Ella's location. After that, time seemed to slow - and not literally, Lucifer checked, Amenadiel wasn't anywhere nearby. And he didn't have his powers, anyway.

Finally, Pierce went still, his glazed eyes fixed on the ceiling. Michael didn't stick around to wait; He was gone before Lucifer could blink, the sword clattering to the ground where he had previously been kneeling. Lucifer hesitantly pulled away from Chloe, gently shushing the Detective's protests and pulling her along, holding her close as he walked over. He stared down at Pierce, silent and waiting, waiting for him to suck in a gasp of air and sit up again.

But he was completely, and relievingly, still. Lucifer sighed, closing his eyes for a second before kneeling down and picking Michael's Sword up, turning back to Chloe, who was staring down at Pierce with wide, terrified eyes. "I'm sorry, Detective," Lucifer mumbled. "I never wanted this."

Chloe just shook her head, looking up at him. "... I know." She looked down again, going silent for the longest time before forcing herself to speak. "... Ella."

"Right." Lucifer wrapped his wing around her again and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he was surprised to see them in a hotel room - A hotel room he recognized, actually, this was the hotel beside Lux… Why the Hell couldn't he sense her there before? The Devil frowned, frustrated, but the frown faltered, mouth pressing into a neutral line as he watched Michael wrap his arms around Ella, holding her close. Ella honestly seemed okay - A little shaken up, but surprisingly unfazed, and Michael… Lucifer was shocked to see tears rolling down his face as he held Ella close, not saying a word. And she hugged him back just as tightly, just as silently, looking up and grinning at Lucifer and Chloe as they appeared. She extended one arm to hug Chloe when the Detective rushed over to check on her, but Lucifer stayed frighteningly still, his gaze fixed on the three of them.

The only thing he could think of was that that, what had just happened, had been so, horribly close to going completely wrong. If Pierce had wanted to harm Ella, this could have been completely different. This could have been real danger, real danger that he and his brother put her in. And now, Chloe, too. Lucifer hadn't wanted her to be dragged into any of this, and now she was, thanks to Michael. Now she knew everything, now she believed everything, thanks to Michael. Lucifer's grip on the sword tightened, wings folding back silently.

"Lucifer!"

Ella practically tackled him, but Lucifer stood still, quietly wrapping his arms and wings around the girl and holding her close, staring down. "... Glad you're alright, Miss Lopez," he whispered, shaking his head. "I…" He trailed off, clearing his throat. "I was very worried about you."

"Pfft, of course I'm fine! Takes more than Cain to take me down, heh," Ella assured, giggling a little bit and pulling back to smile at him. Lucifer forced a smile back, his gaze darting from Ella to Michael, to Chloe, and back again, hesitating.

The realization was hitting him hard, and it hurt. Ella and Chloe would both be much, much better off without Michael and Lucifer there to put them in any danger.

Lucifer knew what he had to do. He didn't want to, but he knew what he had to do. So, the Devil sucked in a shaky breath and looked up. "I need to talk to Michael," he murmured, squeezing Ella's shoulder. Without waiting for a reply, he strode forward, and grabbed Michael by the shoulder, turning to face him. They were in his penthouse before he'd turned completely, his wings spread out and Michael's wings folded. His older brother's eyes widened, obviously startled as he glanced around, before shrugging Lucifer off and stepping back. Lucifer simply dropped the sword at his side, shaking his head.

Amenadiel looked up from where he sat, standing up and walking over instantly, reaching out to place one hand on his brother's shoulder. "Luci?"

"Watch out for Chloe and Ella, Amenadiel," Lucifer mumbled shakily, shrugging him off and turning to face him. He met his oldest brother's gaze, his eyes flickering with anguish as he looked up into his eyes. "Please."

Amenadiel stared at him, his expression changing. "What are you going to…" He trailed off, glanced at Michael, and his eyes widened with the realization. Michael just stared back in confusion, glancing between them.

Lucifer shook his head and turned back to Michael, folding his wings back. "I'm ready to go back to Heaven, brother. Just… Take me to Heaven."

Michael's eyes widened, opening and closing his mouth silently for a moment as he fought to respond. Lucifer just stared, eyes cold. "It- It's- It hasn't been a month yet," Michael finally managed to stammer out, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at his younger brother.

"Michael," Lucifer hissed, lowering his voice. "Ella could have been _hurt_ , because of _us._ I don't care if it's only been a few days. I want. To leave. I want to go somewhere where we can't hurt them anymore."

"But Dad…"

"Wanted me in Heaven!" Lucifer exclaimed, voice raising suddenly as he shook his head. "Well, I'm willing to go _now_! So _obey his bloody orders_ and _take me to Heaven_!"

Michael looked taken aback for a moment, but after a second, his amber eyes sparked up, flickering with flames as he raised his chin. "That's what you want?"

" _Yes_." Lucifer narrowed his eyes.

"That's _really what you want_?" Michael insisted, taking a step toward him. Lucifer took a small step forward as well, leaning forward and holding his gaze.

"What I want," the Devil growled. "Is for Chloe and Ella to no longer be in danger. Every second that we're here, they are. For you, this should be two birds with one stone. Miss Lopez is fine, and you get to prove yourself to Dad. So beam me up, Scotty, do what the _Hell_ you have to do, just get us out of here before I stab your own sword through your _chest_."

Michael glared at him, eyes flickering with fury for a long, long time. Finally, though, he reached out, clasping one hand firmly over Lucifer's shoulder. " _If you insist._ "

Lucifer took a deep breath and held it, squeezing his eyes shut. A few moments passed, Michael's hand remaining on his shoulder. And Lucifer didn't want to open his eyes. He didn't want to look and see the Silver City - Possibly see his Dad for the first time in… Forever. Didn't want to see his siblings again, their disapproving glares. But at the same time, he also didn't want to open his eyes and see his penthouse. LA, where Chloe and Ella and Linda were, where they were in danger as long as Lucifer was there. He would have been content to just never open his eyes at all. And so, he kept them shut, he kept them shut tightly and let the minutes pass.

And he kept them shut until Michael's voice broke into his thoughts, quiet and confused. "... Sammy, something's wrong."


	31. Chapter 31

Lucifer realized, when he opened his eyes and took a look at his brother, that Michael was right. Something was wrong. He had his wings out, but the golden feathers were falling off, right before their eyes. Michael's wings kept fluttering, trying desperately to fly - At this point, Lucifer was pretty sure Michael was just trying to make sure they were working, not take them back to Heaven. But it seemed his brother was getting his wings clipped, and the Devil watched, eyes wide, as the feathers continued falling into a pile around their feet. Amenadiel backed away, wide-eyed, and Michael just stared, finally stopping what he was doing and staring in confusion and terror. He lifted his hand from Lucifer's shoulder, catching one of the feathers as it fell, and clenched it tightly in his hand, which was shaking. "I…"

Only when Lucifer saw a white feather fall into the pile of golden ones did he turn his attention to his own wings, which were spread out open wide now against his will, his own feathers slowly fluttering to the ground. The Devil tensed, not caring nearly as much as Michael did about his, but it was startling to see. And, surprisingly enough, it didn't hurt. It felt like… Nothing. It felt like nothing was happening, but it _was_. He was watching it, watching the wings droop as the feathers fell, and he kept his gaze fixed on them firmly. "What the Hell…?" He whispered, disbelief sparkling through his eyes as he narrowed them, brushing one of the feathers off his shoulder and looking down as they fell.

Michael seemed to be panicking, taking a few steps back and grabbing at his wings as if trying to keep the feathers attached, but he was failing miserably. Lucifer turned his attention back to his older brother, then threw a quick glance toward Amenadiel, eyes wide with confusion. His oldest brother just stared back at him in alarm and concern, gaze flickering from Michael to Lucifer, and the Devil took a deep breath and let it out slowly, looking back up and fixing his gaze on Michael. The last of the feathers were falling, and Michael's wings in general were becoming crooked, drooping lower to the ground than Lucifer knew they should. His brother was surrounded by his own feathers at his feet, and all three of them stared as the wings simply fell with a soft, quiet _thump_ to the floor, completely disconnected from him altogether.

Lucifer stepped back, the movement causing his own feathers to flurry up around him, and he flinched despite himself, raising a hand up to brush them out of his hair and off his clothes. Like Michael's, he felt his own wings drooping low, finally starting to hurt just the slightest bit as they strained. But he didn't say a word, turning his head quietly to watch the feathers flutter down, falling like leaves to the ground until, finally, the wings fell to the floor with their own quiet _thump_ , and the weight on Lucifer's back was relieved. The Devil sucked in a quiet gasp and let it out slowly, shoulders lowering as he looked up, turning his gaze back to Michael, who was staring down at the golden feathers on the floor, shaking slightly in confusion and fear and disbelief.

"I…" Michael's voice shook slightly, almost as much as he was shaking, in general, as he looked up, his gaze meeting Lucifer's, then Amenadiel's, then darting right back down to the golden feathers. His amber eyes, which always seemed to be blazing with that fire, were unnaturally dull. "It's… It's gone… It's all gone…" He trailed off, swallowing. "I can't… Sense it, anymore… I can't… The powers… I…" He took a deep breath, and Lucifer watched his chest stop moving, as if he was holding his breath before he abruptly released it. " _What_ just _happened_?"

"I don't…" Lucifer shook his head, just as bewildered, but surprisingly not as afraid as his brother. After all, they were just wings. Though, the thing his older brother had said about the powers got to him, piquing his curiosity. He could worry about that later, though. He kicked at the sea of feathers, sending them scattering in different directions, searching for one specific thing. The Sword was still there, luckily enough, lying bloody on the floor as it had been before. They were still in the penthouse, the screwed-up, broken penthouse, with Michael and Lucifer standing across from them and Amenadiel beside Lucifer, facing both his younger brothers with wide eyes filled with concern, confusion and disbelief.

"I don't know," he finally admitted to his older brother, taking a deep breath and looking up. Michael had fixed his gaze on the Sword, too, but he stayed firmly in place. Lucifer kept his gaze on Michael until his older brother looked up at him, confusion sparkling through those way too dull amber eyes as the archangel - Or, former, possibly - Stared at his younger brother. "But… If I had to guess, brother…" He trailed off. "I'd say both of us just became… Mortal." Not too surprising, and, again, he wasn't as fazed by it as he should have been. After all, he was practically mortal around Chloe, anyway. Although, it did strike up some unease at the idea of not being able to use his powers…

Michael looked… Horrified. Lucifer knew he had nothing against mortals, or humanity, but he also knew that being a mortal himself was one thing that his older brother had never wanted at all. It was almost amusing, the look on his face as he took that in, and he opened his mouth, but faltered when he started to speak, seemingly unable to find the words. Lucifer… Well, understood, despite himself. Michael was all about power, and now that that power had been stripped away… Well, what did that leave him? Not that much, to be fair. The former archangel stared down at the feathers at his feet. Lucifer watched his eyes flicker, struggling to accept that - Or, maybe the opposite, struggling to deny it.

"I'd offer a drink, but my bar, was, unfortunately destroyed…" Lucifer trailed off, actually letting out a small, slightly forced laugh despite himself. What did this mean? Well, ultimately, it meant… He wasn't the Devil anymore. But he wasn't an angel. He was mortal. And if he was mortal… He couldn't get to Heaven. Meaning, the Detective _and_ Ella were still in danger, possibly… And Lucifer… Didn't want that. His smile faltered, staring at his older brother, and he looked away. "And now we can't get back to Heaven…"

"And whose fault is that?" Michael marveled, his voice raising slightly in pitch, desperate and confused and Lucifer almost felt sympathetic. "This is probably Dad's way of telling us to wait out the whole month. I _told_ you it was too early to go back. But you never listen, do you?"

" _I_ never listen?" Lucifer retorted, his eyes widening immediately as he fixed his brother with a disbelieving glare. "You're the one that doesn't listen. And you know what? If you hadn't gotten so attached to Miss Lopez and gotten her _into_ this mess in the first place, then we wouldn't need to go back."

" _Excuse me_?" Michael's amber eyes flickered with fury as he stepped forward. Even though his eyes were no longer filled with literal fire, somehow, they still blazed with rage as he stared his younger brother down. And yet, Lucifer felt no fear. For the first time in his life, he wasn't even the slightest bit scared of his brother. Why would he be? They were both mortals now. Neither of them had any kind of advantage. Michael didn't have his strength anymore, he couldn't hurt him the way he used to. "You've forgotten who apparently gave Pierce the idea of me using the Sword to kill him to begin with, haven't you?" His older brother demanded. "If you had just kept your mouth shut, for once, _then_ that wouldn't have happened, and everything would be _fine_ , now wouldn't it?"

"And who's the one who got attached to a mortal, eh? If you hadn't, Pierce wouldn't have known taking her would piss you off. But," Lucifer taunted, lips curling back slightly as he took a step forward. He ignored a slightly warning hum from Amenadiel, stepping up to his older brother and raising his head to look him directly in the eyes. "You just couldn't help yourself, could you? Falling for humanity, falling for her. Well, Daddy's perfect _soldier_ disobeyed his rule. Guess you're more like me than you realized."

The fury that ignited in Michael's eyes was all worth it. Eons worth of torture endured, the fear, all of it leading up to this moment. Well, there was no fear. Just a strong, determined sense of satisfaction as he watched the effect his words had, as he finally stepped up to get the payback he'd been dreaming of since he was little. His brother was a bully. Hell, his brother was worse than a bully, and it was about time that Lucifer got him back for it. "I am _nothing_ like you, Samael. I _never_ will be."

"Oh, no, brother, it's too late," Lucifer replied quietly, lowering his voice. "Don't you see, now? You _are_ like me. Take away the rebellion, the "worship Dad", and look at yourself. You've fallen, too. Fallen for the humans. And you know, as well as I do, that you don't want to go back to Heaven, do you? You want to stay… Right here. Right down here, with her. Because you can deny it all you want, but you're in love with her. You got attached. And you hate it. You hate it, because you know you can't worship _Him_ anymore. Because you've seen that humanity can be, and honestly always will be, _better_ than Him. Better than _us_."

Michael didn't say anything. And for a long, long time, he just stared at his younger brother, fury flickering through his eyes. And, after a moment of silence, he walked forward and swung at his brother, aiming to punch him in the face - But, this time, Lucifer was ready. He ducked, dodging the punch easily, and grabbed his brother by the wrist, twisting as hard as he could and narrowing his eyes in satisfaction when he heard a crack, and a sharp gasp from his older brother. "Remember, brother. You're mortal, too."

Lucifer shoved him back and swung, punching him in the face. And he didn't stop after that. He attacked, one blow after another, shoving his brother back into the wall and continuing his attacks. And, after a long time, Michael suddenly gave up fighting. Lucifer saw it, flickering through his amber eyes. The realization that maybe, just maybe, he was getting everything he deserved.

But then Lucifer was pulled back, and the younger brother looked up. Hands aching and stained with his brother's blood, he turned his wide gaze to his oldest brother as Amenadiel pulled him back, holding him with ease. But what surprised Lucifer most was that behind Amenadiel, his dark grey wings were spread out, and his eyes were stern and cold as he stared down at his younger brother. Lucifer started to give in, opened his mouth to ask how he'd gotten his wings back.

But Michael cut in before he could, reminding Lucifer of his presence, and the younger turned his head back to his brother. "Heh," Michael wheezed out a soft laugh, rubbing the blood off his face and gasping in a sharp, unsteady breath as his gaze fixed on Lucifer, filled with fury and pain. "I'm… Nothing like you, Sammy. Know why?" He sucked in another breath, pushing himself away from the wall. "I'm a good son. Unlike either of _you_ two. I may be attached to Ella, but I _never_ planned on trying to stay here. And I've never slept with a _demon_ , or raised a _murderer_ from Hell. So you can say what you will, but in the end, we _all_ know who the better angel here is."

Lucifer stared at him, silent rage blazing in his eyes. He felt Amenadiel stiffen, as well. And this time, it wasn't just about him. Michael had brought his oldest brother into this. And, honestly, Lucifer hated it. And he wanted nothing more than to defend his brother. And, so, he turned his head to look up at Amenadiel, catching his gaze easily. And, after a long, long moment of silence, his brother released him and stepped back.

Lucifer grinned and whirled around to face Michael, watching the smug smirk on his face fade into a look that practically screamed _oh, fuck_. And Lucifer lunged, attacking his brother again, punching him as hard as possible and slamming him back into the wall. "You _really_ shouldn't have said that, now," he warned. "Nobody dicks with Amenadiel but _me_." With that said, he ripped his older brother away from the wall, and turned. And, with every bit of strength he had, he threw his brother back toward the bar.

He realized his mistake too little too late. Michael was mortal now. And, Lucifer froze, horror taking over the anger as his brother crashed back into the broken glass. He watched the sharp pieces slice right through him, one rather large piece in particular stabbing right through his older brother's back and poking out of his stomach. Michael froze, pushing himself away from the glass and looking down, eyes widening with confusion as blood trickled down, staining into his shirt and running down his skin. He faltered, but steadied himself on the counter.

"No, no, no, wait…" Lucifer whispered, immediately rushing forward, stepping over the broken glass to get to his brother. Michael continued to stare down, no longer paying attention to his younger brother and instead choosing to watch the blood rushing down his clothes from multiple spots, his amber eyes flickering faintly. "Shit… No, Michael…"

Lucifer was angry at his brother, sure. And yeah, part of him hated him. And maybe he'd wanted to kill him a few times. But that was then. Now, watching his brother stare down, wide-eyed, watching him bleed, shards of glass sticking out from his back, he wanted to scream. He wanted the old Michael back, as obnoxious and horrible as he was, because at least that Michael didn't have the look on his face that he did now.

When Michael looked up, Lucifer was stunned to see tears in his eyes, his amber gaze searching for his brother's. The younger grabbed him by the shoulders, pulling him away from the counter, and Michael grabbed onto his arm to steady himself again. "Y… You…" Michael's voice faded slightly, swallowing and struggling to speak. "You hate me that much, huh…"

"No," Lucifer insisted, sucking in a sharp breath and holding it. "No, no, I didn't- I didn't want _this_."

"M'just… Teasing, Sammy," Michael chuckled, then whimpered, flinching slightly. He let out a few choked coughs, blood bubbling at his lips as he looked up again, focusing on Lucifer… At least somewhat. His gaze kept roaming, not really seeing anything, but he was struggling to stay conscious. "I…" He rolled his head back, then looked up again, his flickering eyes meeting Lucifer's horrified gaze. And he blinked, quite a few times, a few tears escaping as he did so. "Hey, you actually look upset…"

"I didn't mean…" Lucifer's voice dropped, trailing off desperately as he reached around his brother. He flinched, feeling the several different shards of glass sticking out of his skin, feeling the blood running down his fingers. "I didn't mean to…"

"I know…" Michael trailed off, gaze dropping for a moment, before raising again. "But I… I deserve it, don't I?" He whispered shakily, forcing a small smile at Lucifer. But it faltered after a moment, his grip on his brother tightening, fingers digging into his shirt. "S… Sam…" After a moment, he shook his head faintly, starting to cough again. Blood trickled down the side of his mouth, and Lucifer tensed, his eyes widening in horror as he watched. "Lucifer," Michael corrected himself, a little stronger this time. "I'm sorry."

"No," Lucifer whispered, his eyes widening at the realization. This was real, this was happening. And he didn't want an apology. He wanted this to stop. "No, no, no, Michael…"

"I _am_ ," Michael insisted, his voice once more going quiet. "I- I never- I never m… meant for… for… This…" He trailed off, and his gaze trailed, amber eyes hazing over for a second. "T- To…" And that's as far as he got. For a while, he just stared at nothing, open-mouthed and silent. And then his eyes glazed over, dull and lifeless, and Lucifer stared in complete horror as his brother completely collapsed right into his arms.

"M- Michael-" Lucifer stammered, pulling back and pulling Michael away from the bar, lowering him to the floor. He didn't want to set him on his back, so he kept him sitting up, using one hand to lift his brother's head to look at him. But his eyes stayed dull, no life at all, no longer flickering with the familiar, passionate fire. And the more Lucifer stared at his older brother, the more he realized exactly what he'd just done. Tears flooded his eyes, not quite allowing them to spill over yet, and he looked up, gaze darting around desperately before his eyes landed on Amenadiel. "C- Can't- Can't you-"

Amenadiel seemed completely frozen, staring at the two. He did, however, eventually force himself to move, kneeling down and reaching out to Michael. But, even after he made contact, nothing happened. Lucifer sucked in a breath, realizing his brother's wings were gone, now. Whatever had happened for them to return… It was over. It was all over. The realization hit a little too hard, a little too painfully. He dropped his older brother, watching him crumple limply to the floor, and scrambled back, staring down at the blood on his hands.

He'd just killed his brother. _Another_ one of his brothers, and he'd killed him. Lucifer found himself shaking, scooting himself back even more and forcing himself to his feet, nothing but horror and pain and _guilt_ flickering through his eyes. His chest twisted, a lump rising in his throat, painful enough to bring more tears to his eyes.

"... Luci…" Amenadiel's voice was quiet. Soft, soothing. But Lucifer… Felt… Almost numb to it. He just stared, gaze not moving from Michael, as Amenadiel stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. When he failed to react, his brother stepped aside, effectively blocking his view of his older brother and forcing Lucifer's gaze to him. His oldest brother's expression softened almost immediately, seeing the pain reflected in his eyes. And before Lucifer knew it, he was being pulled into a hug.

Lucifer shook his head, but he didn't resist. Though, he didn't hug back, either. And, eventually, Amenadiel pulled away, leaving Lucifer as numb as he had been before. He took in a soft, shaky breath and let it out slowly, letting his gaze fall to the floor.

The familiar _ding_ of the elevator made him flinch. He expected Chloe and Ella - And having to explain all of this to them… Not something he wanted to do. He shuffled back instinctively, bracing himself. But he heard nothing but footsteps, and a soft gasp from Amenadiel, which finally forced him to look up. His gaze landed on a man that he didn't recognize - At first glance, at least - Watching him walk slowly and carefully from the elevator and toward the boys. He didn't look at Lucifer or Amenadiel, instead crouching down beside Michael and, slowly, began pulling the shards of glass out of his back one by one. Lucifer stepped forward, ready to defend his dead brother, but Amenadiel immediately pulled him right back.

The man rolled Michael onto his back, reaching out and closing his eyes. He then pressed two fingers to Michael's head, and Lucifer watched, eyes wide, as his brother sucked in a sharp gasp of air, chest heaving as he began breathing again. But he settled comfortably once more, unconscious but _breathing, and alive_ , and Lucifer stared in confusion and relief as the man brushed Michael's blonde hair from his face and stood. His gaze finally lifted to Lucifer and Amenadiel, and flickered from one to the other as he stepped around Michael and walked forward to stop right in front of the two. And Lucifer's eyes widened when the man's gaze met his, disbelief flooding his eyes as he stared into the familiar, flickering, warm green eyes. The man just smiled at him and Amenadiel, stepping forward and raising his head.

"Hello, boys."


	32. Chapter 32

Lucifer stepped back slightly as Amenadiel stepped forward, his shoulder brushing against his oldest brother's as he shuffled back. Every muscle in his body seemed to have completely tensed up, feeling like he was freezing and burning on the inside. The man in front of him regarded him with a quiet, calm smile, curiosity sparkling through his green eyes as he looked him up and down. And it was Amenadiel who spoke next, even though Lucifer wanted to start screaming bloody murder right then and there. "Father."

It was almost like a confirmation, and it was what set Lucifer off. Before _God_ could react to Amenadiel, Lucifer shoved past his brother, fists clenched and ready to punch as hard as possible. And if Amenadiel hadn't immediately grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him back with practically every ounce of strength he had, Lucifer probably would have given his Father a bloody nose. God stayed silent, but his smile faltered as he lowered his chin, gazing at his son.

"Luci. No."

"Let me _go,_ " Lucifer hissed, trying to shove his brother off. Amenadiel held on tight, though, pulling him a little further away from God. "Come on, I've earned this!"

His Father blinked, taking a few tentative steps toward his son, and Lucifer went still for a second, tensing up again immediately. And then, suddenly, it was all too… Familiar. His oldest brother holding him back while his Father stood in front of him, just out of reach - Lucifer half expected Amenadiel to sprout a pair of wings and drag him back to Hell. He swallowed, writhing slightly in his oldest brother's grip, but this time it wasn't to get away so he could attack. And Amenadiel, bless his soul, he must have sensed his brother's fear, because he released him and stepped back, keeping one hand on Lucifer's shoulder and giving a light squeeze. Lucifer just took a deep breath and stepped back again, once more turning his glare to his Father.

God studied him for a moment, his eyes flickering over Lucifer's face almost warily. "I can see you're still a fiesty one, Samael."

Lucifer's eyes hardened, stepping forward again. And this time, even Amenadiel stayed quiet and still as Lucifer stepped forward, facing his Father for the first time in so, so long. "You've got _no_ idea, _Dad_."

God frowned, shaking his head and once more raising his gaze back to his son's. And, after a moment, he stepped forward and reached out. At first, Lucifer flinched, slightly surprised, but his eyes widened in confusion when his Father simply pulled the collar of his shirt down, adjusting his suit. "I know it's been a long time. Maybe too long. But you can't possibly be as angry at me as you used to be."

It took a few moments for Lucifer to respond, staring at his Father. Then, wordlessly, he reached up and grabbed God's wrist, yanking his Father's hand away from him. "Well, no," he agreed, and God's expression brightened, only for his face to fall when Lucifer continued. "I'm angrier."

"But why?" God asked quietly, twisting his hand out of Lucifer's grip effortlessly and letting his hands fall back to his sides. Lucifer stared at him in disbelief, completely speechless for a moment. His Father had the nerve to stand there and ask _why_ Lucifer was angry at him. Why he hated him.

"You _know_ why."

His Father stared at him in silence for a moment, contemplating. And, after a while, he nodded and spoke. "Because I abandoned you," he murmured. "Because I cast you out without asking you why you did what you did. You're my son, and I treated you more unfairly than you deserved."

Lucifer hesitated slightly. He hadn't expected his Father to just… Outright admit it all, but. "Basically, yes," he managed, his eyes darkening. "What's the worst I did, Pops, huh? All I wanted was for you to actually pay attention to your children instead of your bloody creation, and in trying to end the neglect, I got- Well, more neglect!" He shook his head, a little surprised to feel his throat closing up, but he forced himself to continue. "It wasn't fair."

"You're right. It wasn't fair," God replied, lowering his voice slightly and staring at his son. "I should have been a better Father to you, but I let my anger get the better of me. And for that, I am sorry."

 _That_ caught Lucifer off guard. Okay, it was one thing for God to admit what he'd done wrong - And even Lucifer hadn't expected that - But for him to actually apologize? Lucifer was… Well, he was torn. He didn't know whether to believe him or not, truthfully enough. So for a long time, all he did was stand there and stare at his Father, his mouth slightly open. "... W- Well, you should be," he finally managed to spit out. He opened his mouth, ready to say more, but faltered. "... But, I suppose, I…" He trailed off, glancing away. "I can see that all the time and effort you put into this creation has most certainly paid off."

God smiled a little bit at that, green eyes seeming to light up for a second as he tilted his head at his son. "I wanted it to be perfect for you. For all of you."

"Pardon?" Lucifer shook his head and looked up, blinking in surprise as he stared at his Father. God just shrugged, looking away, toward the window.

"I wanted to create a place where all of you could… Live. Heaven was…" His Father trailed off, glancing back up at Lucifer. "Well, I think you can agree that Heaven was never much of a home?" When Lucifer nodded, God turned to face him completely. "And I wanted to create somewhere that _would_ be. And I… I was worried, that it wasn't ready. That _you_ weren't ready, just yet. But…" A small smile tugged at his lips. "I was wrong. I've been watching you down here, interacting with them, and I… I'm really not sure what I was so worried about."

Lucifer blinked, glancing away and narrowing his eyes. He didn't say anything, so his Father continued, voice going softer. "I thought your anger toward the humans would lead to you trying again and again to destroy them. So I cast you out before you could. Turned out it was your mother I had to worry about, not you." He went silent for a moment, grimacing, before stepping forward. "Samael, I am sorry."

Lucifer kept his gaze fixed on the floor, not knowing what to say. He was torn between his anger, and… The desire to forgive him, to get _over_ the anger once and for all. He hesitated, keeping his gaze fixed on the floor. As much as part of him wanted to stay angry, and he knew that if he really tried he could find a million other things to be pissed at his Father about… But he wanted to forgive him, too. He wanted to stop being so angry at him.

Because anger hurt. It hurt a lot. Lucifer sighed and squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head. "Fine- Fine! It's- It's surprisingly less harder to hate you now, so… Fine. I believe you."

His Father actually chuckled a little. Lucifer sighed, reluctantly blinking his eyes open and looking up at him silently. "So you forgive me?" God checked, taking a few steps forward and tilting his head.

Lucifer hesitated, staring at him for a while, but eventually nodded. As soon as he did, his Father pulled him into a hug. Which was, admittedly, probably the _last_ thing he was expecting. And he couldn't move at first - He didn't move at first.

And without even thinking about it, he wrapped his arms around God, burying his face into his Father's shoulder in silence. "So what was with sending Michael to bring me to Heaven, then?" He mumbled, his voice slightly muffled by his Father's shirt.

"Just a way of seeing if he's ready, too," God responded warmly, letting out a soft chuckle and rubbing his son's shoulders comfortingly, giving a soft squeeze. "I never intended to force you back there, Samael. I never intended to force you back anywhere. You're exactly where you should be." He stayed silent for a moment. "I'm proud of you, you know that?"

Lucifer blinked, starting to raise his head, but after a moment he gave in and simply buried his face into his Father's shoulder again. "... Well, I suppose it is good to know now."

God chuckled, giving another soft squeeze before pulling away, patting him on the shoulder and turning to Amenadiel. Lucifer stepped back, glancing at his oldest brother before brushing past both of them and walking over to Michael. He zoned them out, crouching down beside his older brother and exhaling softly in relief when he saw he was breathing again.

"Thank Dad," Lucifer mused quietly with a sigh, reaching out and poking his older brother. "Alright, get up."

Michael grunted, shifting slightly and shaking his head slowly. It took a moment, but he sucked in another breath and blinked his eyes open, pushing himself to sit up and looking around in alarm. Lucifer tilted his head and pushed himself to stand up once more, reaching out to help his older brother up. "Good morning."

"What the f-" Michael cut off, taking a deep, slightly shaky breath and taking Lucifer's hand, allowing his younger brother to pull him to stand. "Wh- What happened?"

Lucifer hummed, then simply turned and pointed at God, who was now hugging Amenadiel. Michael did a double take, a look of pure disbelief crossing his face, then narrowed his eyes and turned to look at his brother. "And you're not attacking him?" He asked slowly.

"Well…" Lucifer trailed off, shaking his head. "It seems I'm not… Nearly as… Angry, as I…" He trailed off, letting out a sigh. Michael just chuckled, turning back to look at his Father and brother, and Lucifer followed his gaze. "... So, uh, I… May have overreacted with you. I'm-"

"I know," Michael cut him off, sounding slightly amused as he looked back down at his younger brother. "Trust me, I got everything I deserved and more."

"Now, that I will not disagree with," Lucifer admitted, a small grin tugging at his lips now. Michael rolled his eyes, but immediately straightened up when God pulled away from Amenadiel and turned to face Michael and Lucifer, offering them both a warm grin before focusing on Michael in particular.

"Welcome back, son. Have a good nap?"

Michael snorted, hesitating a little. "Ah… Father, I, uh, I really did try to bring Samael back to Heaven, but…" He trailed off, glancing at his brother.

"I know you did. A little too early, though, so I had to intervene. Sorry about that." God cleared his throat, clasping his hands together and glancing at the elevator. "Now, nice as this is… I do have to go. Michael." He looked up, fixing his son with a stern look. "Stop being a dick."

Lucifer choked on air at that, clearing his throat and turning his head away. Amenadiel seemed to have the same reaction, an amused grin on his face as he shook his head, and Lucifer was doing his best not to laugh.

"Yes, sir," Michael replied quietly, his eyes wide. That just made Lucifer want to laugh harder, but he held it in.

"Good," God responded, grinning again and glancing toward Lucifer. He winked at his son before stepping back, glancing up at the ceiling. "I know all three of you will be just fine down here. You have been so far," he sighed, closing his eyes. "I'll be watching."

"Bit creepy, but alright," Lucifer mused with a grin. It was kind of weird for him, admittedly - All the anger he'd held toward his Father before had just… Disappeared. Not that he was complaining, because it most certainly hurt a lot less now… And he was going to have quite a bit to tell Linda, wasn't he?

"And if you don't ask Decker out soon, son…"

"I beg your p-" Lucifer shook his head in bewilderment, turning back to his Father. His gaze met nothing, and it took him a few seconds to register that God was gone. Michael snickered, and Lucifer just stood in silence, staring at where his Father had previously been standing for a long time before turning back to his older brothers. "Did he really just…"

"Uh huh." Amenadiel nodded, and Michael shrugged. Lucifer scoffed, shaking his head and rubbing his hand across his face.

"Unbelievable…" He started. " _Dad_ playing matchmaker, who would have expected?"

"I have to agree," Michael admitted, his amber eyes sparkling with curiosity as he looked down at his younger brother. He then turned, and Lucifer looked up when he heard the elevator _ding_ again, the doors sliding open slowly. His head tilted, curious, but he wasn't too surprised to see Chloe and Ella.

Ella took one look at the scattered feathers, and Lucifer could practically see her almost having a heart attack. "Ohhhh, my God, what happened?!"

"Ella," Michael sighed and headed over to calm her down. Lucifer stared at them for a moment, silent, but looked over instantly when Chloe started over to him, staring at the feathers in confusion and slight uncertainty. She looked up when she reached Lucifer, meeting his gaze with wide eyes.

"Are you okay?"

Lucifer tilted his head, staring at her. Then, without a word, he reached out and pulled her into a hug, resting his head on top of the Detective's. She let out a confused "oh", but hugged him back anyway. "For the first time in a long time, Detective."


	33. The End

_It's finished, holy fuck_

Ahem.

Alright, guys, I really hope you all enjoyed this story! I just want to thank all of you for your comments and support (because honestly without you guys I probably wouldn't have finished this because I'm horrible at committing and lose interest easily) and hopefully all of you enjoyed this little journey. Again, thank you guys for reading!

And yeah, you can expect many more stories. Stay tuned, darlings.


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